Doctoral Dissertation Research Award: The Role of Material Culture in Reconstructing Social Connectivity

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。近一个世纪以来，考古学家们一直在争论生活在邻近地区的印第安人之间文化互动的程度和性质。尽管人们普遍认识到相互作用的发生，但中间区域仍然定义不清。语言差异和有限的文献资料也阻碍了对区域史前历史的更广泛理解。为了解决这一差距，研究人员正在对相关陶瓷样品进行首次分析和比较研究。这些为科学家提供了重建史前相互作用的最佳工具之一。我们的目标不仅是了解陶器是如何随着时间的推移而变化的，而且是为了了解它的陶器设计如何反映出人群之间不断变化的关系。研究人员利用博物馆藏品和放射性碳测年来实现这些目标。这一两国合作项目将向讲英语和西班牙语的观众介绍调查结果。当代考古学家在广泛地讨论跨越广泛地理区域的复杂文化互动时，会使用“连通性”这个术语。陶器分析是衡量文化连通性的有力工具，因为陶瓷在多个地区大量生产。陶器的生产是通过正规的学徒制来管理的。这种师徒关系导致了陶器设计的频繁复制，并有助于在视觉上加强群体认同。项目调查人员正在制作一个数据库，系统地将陶器图案与邻近地区的陶器图案进行比较。这种系统的比较提供了一种独特的方法来衡量文化联系的程度和性质。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).For nearly a century, archaeologists have debated the extent and nature of cultural interaction between prehispanic populations living in adjacent regions. Despite a general recognition that interactions occurred, the intermediary region remains poorly defined. Language differences and limited literature availability have also prevented broader understandings of regional prehistory. To address this gap, researchers are conducting the first analysis and comparative study of relevant ceramic samples. These provide scientists with one of the best tools for reconstructing prehistoric interactions. The goal is to understand not only how pottery changed across time, but how its pottery designs reflect changing relationships among populations. The investigators utilize museum collections and radiocarbon dating to achieve these goals. This binational collaborative project will present findings to both English and Spanish speaking audiences. Contemporary archaeologists apply the term “connectivity” when broadly discussing complex cultural interactions across wide geographic regions. Pottery analysis is a powerful tool for measuring cultural connectivity because ceramics were abundantly produced in multiple regions. Pottery production was regulated through formalized apprenticeship. This master/apprentice relationship resulted in the frequent replication of pottery designs and was instrumental in visually reinforcing group identity. The project investigators are producing a database that systematically compares pottery motifs against those from neighboring regions. This systematic comparison provides a unique method that measures the extent, and nature, of cultural connectivity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.