Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Early and Middle Formative Floodplain Settlement, Subsistence, and Household Adaptations at San Lorenzo, Veracruz, Mexico

在David Grove博士的指导下，Anthony Vega先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。结合考古实地工作和实验室分析，他将检查位于墨西哥韦拉克鲁斯州东南部圣洛伦索主要奥尔梅克中心附近的一系列小土丘。奥尔梅克文明是中美洲最早的文明，尽管人们把相当多的注意力集中在像圣洛伦索这样令人印象深刻的中心，但人们对周围腹地或这种发展的过程所知相对较少。在初步工作中，维加先生定位并进行了一系列小土丘的测试挖掘，这些土丘点缀在圣洛伦索周围的洪泛平原上。结果表明，这些房屋可能是由单一家庭群体居住的，根据与今天居住在该地区的人的比较，这些早期奥尔梅克人很可能采取混合生存策略，将大量的鱼、虾和其他洪漫平原物品纳入农业饮食。虽然许多研究人员关注农业与复杂社会出现之间的关系，但Vega先生和其他人认为，实际情况可能更为复杂，对更广泛资源的控制在这一过程中发挥了重要作用。维加先生将进行地层挖掘以确定详细的年代顺序。他还将完全暴露几个土丘内的生活表面，以深入了解生存实践和社会组织。跨土丘的比较将使他能够确定社会分层——复杂社会的标志——是否存在。在土堆之间进行更有限的测试，有望提供有关农业实践的信息。通过将奥尔梅克文化的发展置于一个时间背景中，也将有可能解决奥尔梅克文化是从当地发展起来的，还是追溯到中美洲其他地区的争议问题。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将揭示可能导致文明出现的其他途径，并提供对最早的中美洲复杂社会之一的深入了解。它将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的数据，并有助于培养一名有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. David Grove, Mr. Anthony Vega will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. Combining both archaeological fieldwork and laboratory analysis he will examine a series of small mound sites located near the major Olmec center of San Lorenzo in southeastern Veracruz, Mexico. The Olmec civilization is the earliest in Mesoamerica and although considerable attention has been focused on impressive centers such as San Lorenzo, relatively little is known either about the surrounding hinterland or the processes responsible for this development. In preliminary work, Mr. Vega located and conducted test excavations into a series of small mounds which dot the floodplain around San Lorenzo. The results suggest that these were housemounds, perhaps occupied by single family groups and, based on comparisons with people who inhabit the region today, it is quite likely that these early Olmec pursued a mixed subsistence strategy which incorporated significant amounts of fish, shrimp and other floodplain items into an agricultural diet. While many researchers focus on the relationship between agriculture and the emergence of complex society Mr. Vega, among others, believes that the situation in fact may be more complex and that control over a wider variety of resources played an important role in this process. Mr. Vega will conduct stratigraphic excavation to develop a detailed chronological sequence. He will also completely expose living surfaces within several mounds to gain insight into subsistence practices and social organization. Comparison across mounds will permit him to determine whether social stratification - a hallmark of complex societies - existed. More limited testing between mounds may, hopefully, provide information on agricultural practices. By placing Olmec development in a chronological context it will also be possible to address the contested issue of whether Olmec culture developed from a local base or traces its roots to other regions within Middle America.This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on alternative routes which may lead to the emergence of civilization and provide insight into one of the earliest Middle American complex societies. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and contribute to training a promising young scientist.