An Ethnoarchaeological and Archaeological Study of the Gamo Caste System in Southwestern Ethiopia

在国家科学基金会的支持下，John亚瑟博士、Kathryn Weedman博士和Matthew Curtis博士将进行考古和人种学研究，以确定导致埃塞俄比亚加莫人发展种姓制度的因素。在该区域先前工作的基础上，他们将审查非洲和南亚主要地区特有的一种社会组织形式的发展。 由于加莫人居住的地区偏远，社会组织的许多传统特征受到的影响很小，因此既可以审查种姓制度的运作情况，也可以追踪其随时间的发展情况。加莫人根据职业和父系血统将自己组织成同族通婚的种姓阶层-个人只与自己种姓内的伴侣结婚，每个种姓群体都与不同程度的声望、纯洁/污染和权力有关。因此，加莫提供了一个独特的环境，以研究当今非洲社会的种姓指标，并研究种姓起源的理论，以及解决与人类学和考古学有关的更大问题，如工艺专业化，身份，研究小组将挖掘历史遗址，并将联合收割机考古证据与人种考古学中的种姓指标知识相结合问题研究 由此收集的数据将有助于评估征服、内部发展、环境变化和冲突等多种潜在因素的作用，作为种姓起源和发展的可能解释。该项目将允许扩大民族考古学、生活史和口头传统研究以及考古定居点和洞穴遗址的挖掘。民族考古学研究将结合联合收割机的物质文化和空间的使用和生活史的研究，以评估如何在地位，经济和宗教的变化影响了公共，仪式，和家庭空间，物质文化和种姓身份。调查将提供全面的空间和时间背景，以确定可能与特定种姓群体及其形成有关的家庭、仪式区和环境指标。在考古工作的同时，调查人员将集中在饮食，环境和地貌方面进行研究，以评估定居点的变化，重建过去的景观，记录土地清理和森林砍伐，并调查种姓饮食的变化。结合民族考古学，历史，考古学和环境研究将提供一个更完整的了解随着时间的推移，该地区的变化，并允许在该地区的种姓制度的发展的潜在模式进行评估。该项目将包括为美国和埃塞俄比亚学生提供培训，并加强两国之间的科学联系。

With National Science Foundation support Drs. John Arthur, Kathryn Weedman and Matthew Curtis will conduct archaeological and ethnographic research to determine the factors which led to the development of a caste system among the Gamo peoples of Ethiopia. Following on prior work in the region, they will examine the development of a form of social organization which is characteristic of major areas of Africa and South Asia. Because of the remoteness of the area in which the Gamo live, many traditional features of social organization have been minimally impacted and it is possible both to examine a functioning caste system and trace its development over time. The Gamo organize themselves into endogamous caste strata - individuals marry only partners within their own caste - according to occupation and patrilineal descent, and each caste group is associated with different levels of prestige, purity/pollution, and power. Thus, the Gamo offer a unique setting to study the indicators of caste in a present-day African society and to examine theories for the origin of caste, as well as address larger issues relevant to both anthropology and archaeology, such as craft specialization, identity, and the development of complex societies.The research team will excavate historic sites and combine archaeological evidence with knowledge of caste indicators from ethnoarchaeological studies. The data thus collected will allow the role of multiple potential factors such as conquest, internal development, environmental change and conflict to be evaluated as possible explanations for the origin and development of caste. The project will permit expansion of ethnoarchaeology, life history, and oral tradition research as well as the excavation of an archaeological settlement and cave site. The ethnoarchaeological research will combine studies of material culture and use of space and life histories to assess how transformations in status, economy, and religion have affected public, ritual, and household spaces, material culture, and caste identity. Excavations will provide comprehensive spatial and temporal contexts to identify households, ritual areas, and environmental indicators that may be associated with specific caste groups and their formation. In tandem with the archaeological work the investigators will conduct studies concentrating on diet, environment, and geomorphology to assess settlement changes, reconstruct past landscapes, document land clearance and deforestation, and investigate variation of caste diets. Combining ethnoarchaeological, historical, archaeological, and environmental research will provide a more complete understanding of the regional changes over time and allow evaluation of potential models for the development of the caste system in the region. The project will include and provide training for both US and Ethiopian students and strengthen scientific ties between the two countries.