Ushki-1 and the Pleistocene Peopling of America

在国家科学基金会的支持下，Ted Goebel博士和他的合作者将在俄罗斯堪察加州的Ushki-1遗址进行一个季节的考古研究。这个遗址很重要，在关于美洲人类的讨论中占有突出地位，因为它位于白令海陆桥的亚洲末端，白令海陆桥在最后一个冰河时代末期将新大陆与西伯利亚连接起来。较低的沉积物包含了一个石器工业，包括双面和刀片，类似于阿拉斯加的一些材料，可以追溯到大约11000年前。也有可能，但不确定的是，在该遗址中有一个更早的水平，主要是由大型叶片主导，与新世界克洛维斯传统相关的材料有一些相似之处。据说该遗址中有大量的动物和石器遗迹，以及房屋遗迹和墓葬，但这些信息都没有在文献中正式报道过。由于年代和地层学的不确定性，特别是较低的地层，该遗址也受到质疑。一些人认为这些沉积物是混合的，放射性碳物质受到地下水渗透的污染。戈贝尔博士和他的同事将解决这些问题。他们将在遗址内挖掘一小块，并进行多学科实验室分析，以确定Ushki-1及其多种文化组成部分的完整性。他们将致力于：确定最低组成部分的年龄和地层分离；描述相关的岩屑工业；确定动物和古植被遗迹的存在和保存程度；并评估与先前挖掘有关的存档记录作为现场。这些研究将进一步了解白令陆桥和美洲的人类，并确定是否有必要对乌什基进行额外的考古和古生态研究。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Ted Goebel and his collaborators will conduct one season of archaeological research at the site of Ushki-1 located in the Kamchatka Oblast, Russia. The site is important and has figured prominently in discussions of the peopling of the Americas because of its location at the Asian end of the Bering land bridge which connected the New World to Siberia at the end of the last ice age The lower deposits contain a stone tool industry which includes bifaces and blades which resemble some materials in Alaska which date to ca 11,000 years ago. It is also possible, but uncertain that there is an earlier level at the site which is dominated by large blades bearing some resemblance to materials associated with the New World Clovis tradition. The site is said to contain copious faunal and lithic remains along with house remains and burials but none of this information has been formally reported in the literature. The site has also been questioned because of uncertainties about dating and stratigraphy, especially of lower levels. Some have argued that the deposits are mixed and that radiocarbon materials were contaminated by groundwater penetration. Dr. Goebel and his colleagues will address these issues. They will excavate a small block within the site and conduct multidisciplinary laboratory analyses to determine the integrity of Ushki-1 and its multiple cultural components. They will work to: establish the age and stratigraphic separation of the lowest components; characterize associated lithic industries; determine the presence and degree of preservation of faunal and paleovegetational remains; and assess archived records relating to previous excavations as the site. These studies will further understanding and peopling of Beringia and the Americas, and determine whether additional archaeological and paleoecological studies of Ushki are warranted.