Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: More than Forts: A Study of High Elevation Enclosures within the Pambamarca Fortress Complex, Ecuador

在Tina Thurston博士的监督下，Amber Kling将分析在厄瓜多尔北方高地Pambamarca堡垒综合体发现的六个高海拔围栏（HEE）考古发掘期间收集的数据。 在这里，印加人在世纪末建造了一系列14个紧密聚集的堡垒，因为他们努力征服该地区的土著群体，并向北扩张他们的帝国。 在这片争夺激烈的外围地区，大大小小的防御工事成群而建，这在其他地方很少有如此多或如此接近的特征。 这项研究将特别关注该地区的六个最小的围栏，这些围栏由于尺寸小且缺乏特征而被标记为前哨，但从未被广泛研究或挖掘。 一般来说，这些高能量建筑缺乏该地区许多大型堡垒所具有的军事属性，而是拥有其他独特的特征，例如有意识地结合基岩露头，景观中独特的物理和空间位置，以及该地区重要仪式和神圣特征的各种视线。 这些特征使得HEE成为潜在的意识形态标记，甚至是像huacas（印加崇拜的神圣景观特征，并融入他们生活的许多方面）这样的仪式重要场所的有趣案例，在这样一个高度军事化的景观中，这些景观具有深刻的意义和功能。 众所周知，宗教和意识形态是印加征服的强大驱动力，并与印加生活的许多方面交织在一起：这样一个严重受战争驱动的景观将是一个理想的地方，可以看到这些世界的融合。 这里的工作也可能有助于进一步了解印加在征服该地区的斗争，以及揭示更多的不同的军事，政治，经济和社会策略的印加在北方边境，而不是他们的行动在南部和东部边境。在方法上，将使用磁力测量、电阻率和地球化学，因为这些技术是非破坏性和有效的。 然而，厄瓜多尔考古学中往往缺乏它们，因此这个项目可能会向其他研究人员证明它们的有效性，并可能在未来被其他人使用，特别是因为现代需求（道路，农业，塔楼建设）看到许多遗址被修改或摧毁。 发掘也将被用来确定这些围栏的真正功能，无论是军事，宗教，还是两者的结合，并将提供宝贵的洞察帝国序列，军事化的景观，以及在征服和合并抵抗地区和边境期间将神圣作为精神武器和合法化设备的使用。这些序列在考古学上可以在全球范围内找到，并且是许多现代冲突的关键因素，为解释过去和现在冲突周期中的这些条件提供了跨文化比较。 将建立一个公共网站，以提高知名度和数据共享，同时出版物和演示文稿将进一步向科学界传播成果。 此外，该项目还将协助继续培训共同主要研究员，并加强对将参与该项目的许多美国和厄瓜多尔学生的方法培训。

Under the supervision of Dr. Tina Thurston, Amber Kling will analyze data gathered during archaeological excavations at six High Elevation Enclosures (HEEs) found in the highlands of Northern Ecuador at the Pambamarca Fortress Complex. Here, the Inca constructed a series of 14 tightly clustered fortresses towards the end of the 15th century as they struggled to conquer the indigenous groups in the area and expand their Empire northwards. In this highly contested peripheral region, numerous large and small fortifications were erected in groups, a feature rarely found elsewhere with such high numbers or close proximities. This research will specifically focus on the six smallest enclosures in the area that have been labeled as outposts due to their small size and lack of features, but have never been extensively studied or excavated. In general, these HEEs lack the military attributes many of the larger fortresses in the area contain, and instead possess other distinct traits, such as a conscious incorporation of bedrock outcrops, unique physical and spatial placements within the landscape, and various sight lines to important ceremonial and sacred features in the area. These characteristics make the HEEs interesting cases for potential ideological markers or even ritually important places like huacas (sacred landscape features worshipped by the Inca and incorporated into many aspects of their lives) that would have had profound meanings and functions within such a heavily militarized landscape. Religion and ideology were known to be powerful driving forces behind Inca conquest and were woven into many aspects of Inca life: such a heavily war-driven landscape would be an ideal place to see the melding of these worlds. Work here may also help further understand the struggle the Inca had in conquering the region, as well as shed more light on the different military, political, economic and social tactics the Inca undertook on the northern frontier as opposed to their operations on the southern and eastern borders. Methodologically, magnetometry, resistivity and geochemistry will be used, as these techniques are non-destructive and efficient. However, they tend to be lacking in Ecuadorian archaeology, so this project may prove their efficacy to other researchers and could be used by others in the future, especially as modern needs (roads, farming, tower construction) see many sites modified or destroyed. Excavation will also be used to determine the true functions of these enclosures, whether military, religious, or a combination of the two, and will offer valuable insight into imperial sequences, militarized landscapes, and the use of the sacred as both a spiritual weapon and a legitimation device during the conquest and incorporation of resistant regions and frontiers. Such sequences are found archaeologically in global contexts, and are key elements in many modern conflicts, providing a cross-cultural comparison for interpreting such conditions in past and present cycles of conflict. A public website will be created to enhance visibility and data sharing, while publications and presentations will further communicate results to the scientific community. Furthermore, this project will assist in the continued training of the Co-PI as well as enhance methodological training for many American and Ecuadorian students who will work on the project.