Production, Accumulation, and Regional Socio-Political Dynamics in the Southern Amazon (Brazil), AD 1250-1600

本研究探讨了大型，复杂的社区在亚马逊河流域南部（巴西）的上辛古地区的社会政治组织，特别是在生产和分配的经济和象征性资本。 这项研究建立在以前的NSF资助的考古研究（2001-2003），重点是区域调查和遗址测绘。 先前的研究揭示了出乎意料的复杂的区域和地方定居模式，包括第一，第二和第三阶广场村庄和非广场小村庄，以及与大型和密集分布的史前晚期社区相关的重大生态变化。 本研究将探讨在生产和资源积累的差异，在地方和区域层面的特点，在史前时代（c。公元1250-1650年）。 调查将处理各地点之间的差异以及地点内的分布和地带划分，特别是社区的主要结构特征，例如，在中央广场的内部、附近和远处。 具体而言，研究将测试三种生产和积累模型。 第一种观点认为，大宗粮食资源（特别是农业剩余）和经济集中是区域政治经济学的核心。 第二种观点认为，政治经济学主要是基于对有形奢侈品的控制和交换，即一种“声望商品”经济。 第三种模式受到克利福德·格尔茨（Clifford Geertz）对“戏剧国家”的定义的启发，认为正是对公共仪式和空间的控制构成了差别化权力生产的基础。 实地工作包括考古表面评估、土壤取芯和分析、在选定地点进行测试坑和较大区块挖掘，每种地点类型至少有一个实例。 还计划进行湖底取芯、古环境重建（由项目参与者Mark Brenner博士领导）和古民族植物学（由项目参与者Lee Newsom博士和Jose Iriarte博士领导）。 实验室活动包括人工制品，土壤和卫星图像的处理和初步分析。 美国和巴西的研究人员和研究生参与了该项目，当地土著（美洲印第安人）人口也大量参与。

This research examines the socio-political organization of large, complex communities in the Upper Xingu region of southern Amazonia (Brazil), particularly with respect to the production and distribution of economic and symbolic capital. The research builds on previous NSF-funded archaeological research (2001-2003), which focused on regional survey and site mapping. Prior research revealed unexpectedly complex regional and local settlement patterns, including first-, second-, and third-order plaza villages and non-plaza hamlets, and substantial ecological transformations associated with the large and densely distributed late prehistoric communities. The present research will investigate differences in production and accumulation of resources at local and regional levels to characterize regional social dynamics in late prehistoric times (c. AD 1250-1650). Investigations will address differences between sites and intra-site distributions and zonation, particularly with respect to major structural features of communities, e.g., within, near, and distant from central plazas. Specifically, the research will test three models of production and accumulation. The first suggests that bulk food resources (notably agricultural surplus) and economic centralization is at the heart of regional political economics. The second suggests that political economy was based primarily on the control and exchange of tangible luxury items, a "prestige goods" economy. The third model, inspired by Clifford Geertz's definition of the "theater state," suggests that it is control of public ritual and space that forms the basis of differential power production. Fieldwork involves archaeological surface evaluation, soil coring and analysis, test-pit and larger block excavations at select sites, including at least one example of each site type. Lake-bottom coring, for paleo-environmental reconstruction (headed by project participant Dr. Mark Brenner), and paleoethnobotany (headed by project participants Dr. Lee Newsom and Dr. Jose Iriarte) are also planned. Laboratory activities include processing and preliminary analysis of artifacts, soils, and satellite imagery. The project involves participation by US and Brazilian researchers and graduate students, as well as substantial participation by local indigenous (Amerindian) populations.