Dissertation Grant: Evaluating Levantine Early Upper Paleolithic Prismatic Blade Technology

论文资助：评估黎凡特旧石器时代晚期早期棱柱形刀片技术

• 批准号: 0126043
• 负责人: Steven Kuhn
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-01-01 至 2003-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0126043&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Grant; Evaluating; Levantine; Early

Under the direction of Dr. Steven L. Kuhn, Mr. Kristopher W. Kerry will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. This research will quantitatively examine relationships between several different Early Upper Paleolithic stone-tool assemblages associated with the Early Ahmarian lithic tradition. Found throughout most of the eastern Mediterranean region known as the Levant, the Early Ahmarian ranges in age from 25-40,000 years ago, and represents one of the earliest Upper Paleolithic industries in the world and perhaps the earliest example of prismatic blade production in Eurasia. This specific method of stone-tool production, used to produce numerous elongated removals (blades) from a single piece of stone, differs significantly from earlier stone-working techniques, and is contemporaneous with broad-scale changes in human behavior and population dispersal argued to occur throughout Eurasia circa 30-40,000 years ago. Despite this distinction, the Early Ahmarian tradition was not recognized until the early 1980s, when it was distinguished from another Upper Paleolithic technological tradition. This separation, centering on the high percentage of blade elements, was a significant contribution in characterizing Levantine Upper Paleolithic variability. However, over the past two decades the Ahmarian has become a designation for many, highly variable assemblages whose only common denominator is a "bladey" appearance. Understandably, such a classification scheme has made the taxonomic use of the Early Ahmarian somewhat cumbersome. While prismatic blade technology defines the Early Ahmarian, descriptions based on quantitative measures associated with the manufacture of blades are rare. This research will examine relationships between eight different Early Ahmarian assemblages by evaluating blade production strategies using quantitative measures. These assemblages form a transect through south-central Sinai, southwest Jordan, the Negev, central Lebanon, and south-central Turkey and represent various environmental and site settings. Additionally, three "out-group" assemblages will also be examined. These out-group assemblages are included in attempts to identify common themes in Early Ahmarian blade production strategies by comparing them with prismatic blade manufacture from southeast Europe and other stone-tool production techniques considered quite distinct from the Early Ahmarian within the Levant itself. In quantitatively describing blade production strategies associated with these eleven assemblages a consistent method of comparison may help distinguish regional distinctions associated with local environment and site location, as well as identify common themes within the Early Ahmarian. Only after Early Ahmarian technological variability is better defined can questions relating to the dispersal of prismatic blade production throughout Eurasia within the broader context of behavioral and demographic changes often associated with the Upper Paleolithic period be explored.Archaeologists know that the earliest anatomically modern humans first appeared in Africa and that they subsequently spread throughout both Old and New Worlds. Although one might assume that cultural attributes such as stone tools spread the same way, the archaeological evidence is far from clear. Mr. Kerry's research will provide relevant data. It will also assist in training a promising young scientist.

在史蒂文·库恩（Steven L.这项研究将定量研究与早期艾滋病岩性传统相关的几个不同早期的旧石器时代石器托造之间的关系。在大部分地中海地区被称为黎凡特的大部分地区，早期的年龄范围从25至40，000年前，代表了世界上最早的上旧石器时代工业之一，也许是欧亚大陆上最早的Prismatic Blade生产的例子。这种特定的石工具生产方法用于从一块石头产生大量的伸长去除（叶片），与早期的石材工程技术有显着不同，并且同时又有人类行为和种群散布的广泛变化，这些变化是在整个欧亚大陆的整个30-40,000年前发生的。尽管有这种区别，但直到1980年代初期，早期的艾哈迈拉里传统才被认可，当时它与另一种上层旧石器时代的技术传统有所不同。这种分离以叶片元素的高百分比为中心，在表征黎凡特上旧石器时代的变异性方面做出了重要贡献。但是，在过去的二十年中，艾哈迈尔人已成为许多高度可变的组合的指定，其唯一的共同点是“刀片”外观。可以理解的是，这种分类计划使早期艾哈迈尔人的分类使用有些麻烦。尽管棱柱形刀片技术定义了早期的艾滋病，但基于与叶片制造相关的定量措施的描述很少见。这项研究将通过使用定量措施评估刀片生产策略来研究八个不同早期艾滋病的组合之间的关系。这些组合通过西奈中南部，西南约旦，内盖夫，黎巴嫩中部和中南部火鸡形成横断面，并代表各种环境和现场环境。此外，还将检查三个“组外”组合。这些群体组合包括在尝试在早期艾哈迈尔叶片生产策略中识别共同主题的尝试，方法是将它们与东南欧洲的棱柱形叶片制造和其他被认为与黎凡特本身的早期艾哈迈尔人截然不同的技术进行了比较。在定量描述与这11个组合相关的叶片生产策略时，一种一致的比较方法可能有助于区分与当地环境和现场位置相关的区域区别，并确定早期艾滋病中的共同主题。只有在早期的艾哈迈尔技术变异性之后，更好地定义了与帕术刀片生产的分散有关的问题，这些问题在整个欧亚大陆的散布在行为和人口统计学变化的更广泛的背景下，通常与上旧石器时代有关的时期探索。尽管人们可能会认为像石工具这样的文化属性以相同的方式传播，但考古证据远非清晰。克里先生的研究将提供相关数据。它还将有助于培训一位有前途的年轻科学家。