Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Classic Maya Ceramic Technology and Political Dynamics in the Central Peten Lakes Region, Guatemala

政治权力的本质及其在古代国家和帝国中的起源一直是复杂社会考古学中最具争议的话题之一。在William Saturno博士的指导下，Ellen Spensley将进行一项调查，旨在评估当地经济与政治权力之间的关键联系，重点关注危地马拉El pet<s:1>省Motul de San jos<s:1>的晚期古典玛雅政体。大约在公元700年到850年之间，Motul的一个新崛起的王朝在危地马拉的pet<s:1>伊茨<e:1>湖北岸建立了政治霸权，并在周围地区合并了几个较小的先前存在的定居点。类似的事件同时发生在整个南玛雅低地，因此Motul王朝的出现构成了更大发展的一个缩影。本研究项目将通过对陶瓷生产和分销的深入研究，评估新兴的摩图尔王朝对当地经济的影响（以及他们对经济的控制程度）。作为在玛雅遗址中发现的最普遍的人工制品，陶瓷很好地为经济结构提供了一个窗口。研究人员将对Motul de San jos<s:1>地区7个出土地点的陶瓷藏品进行分析，包括Motul本身，以及各种早于王朝扩张的定居点（从农业村庄到湖边港口）。斯宾斯利女士还将在该地区面临现代城市发展破坏的4个尚未调查的地点进行挖掘，以扩大样本范围。利用这一综合样本，她将进行风格、矿物学和化学陶瓷分析，以确定生产群体，并在政治巩固期间绘制其在整个地区的分布图表。通过记录各种生产或分配系统是否随着Motul王朝的出现而改变（实用陶瓷和奢侈陶瓷），本研究将有助于考古学和人类学社区关于古代社会政治权力的起源和本质的持续对话。虽然这项研究旨在解决当今玛雅考古学的一个关键问题，也将解决与复杂社会研究相关的基本问题，但该项目旨在在几个领域产生更广泛的影响。在危地马拉圣何塞的现代社区，以儿童和成人为对象，在社区通讯和公开演讲中发表（西班牙语）成果，目的是提高对该地区丰富考古遗产的认识和保护。危地马拉考古学学生也将接受实地工作和陶瓷分析方面的实际培训，作者也将接受培训。分析完成后，网络数据库的编制将为对危地马拉陶瓷数据感兴趣的考古学家提供丰富的参考工具。最后，研究结果还将通过在同行审查的期刊上发表和在美国和危地马拉的专业会议上发表的方式向考古界提出。

The nature of political power and its origins in ancient states and empires is consistently among the most debated topics in the archaeology of complex societies. Under the supervision of Dr. William Saturno, Ellen Spensley will conduct an investigation designed to assess the critical linkages between local economy and political power, focusing on the Late Classic Maya polity of Motul de San José in the department of El Petén, Guatemala. Between approximately A.D. 700 and 850 a newly emergent dynasty at Motul established political hegemony over an area based on the northern shores of Guatemala's Lake Petén Itzá, incorporating several smaller pre-existing settlements in the surrounding area. Similar events were occurring contemporaneously throughout the southern Maya lowlands and the emergence of the Motul dynasty thus constitutes a microcosm of larger developments.This research project will assess the impact of the emergent Motul dynasty on the economy of the local area (and the degree of control they exerted over it) through an intensive study of ceramic production and distribution. As the most ubiquitous type of artifact recovered at Maya sites, ceramics are well-positioned to provide a window on economic structures. Analysis will be conducted on ceramic collections from 7 previously excavated sites in the Motul de San José area, including Motul itself, and a variety of settlements that pre-dated dynastic expansion (ranging from farming hamlets to a lakeside port). Ms. Spensley will also conduct excavations to broaden this sample at 4 as-yet uninvestigated sites in the area that face destruction from modern urban growth. Drawing on this comprehensive sample, she will undertake stylistic, mineralogical, and chemical ceramic analyses in order to define production groups and to chart their distribution throughout the area during the interval of political consolidation. By documenting whether or not various production or distribution systems changed (for utilitarian as well as luxury ceramics) with the emergence of the Motul dynasty, this research will contribute to an ongoing dialog in the archaeological and anthropological communities concerning the origins and nature of political power in ancient societies. While this research is designed to address a key issue in Maya archaeology today, and will also address fundamental questions relevant to the study of complex societies in general, this project is intended to have a broader impact in several areas. In the modern community of San José, Guatemala, publication (in Spanish) of results in community newsletters and public presentations targeted at both children and adults are intended to increase awareness and conservation of the area's rich archaeological heritage. Guatemalan archaeology students will also receive practical training in field work and ceramic analysis, as will the author. Following completion of analysis, the compilation of a web database will provide a rich reference tool for archaeologists interested in ceramic data from Guatemala. Finally, results will also be presented to the archaeological community through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at professional meetings in both the United States and Guatemala.