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 Steven L. Kuhn 博士的指导下，Kristopher W. Kerry 先生将为他的博士论文收集数据。这项研究将定量研究与早期艾哈迈里石器传统相关的几种不同的早期旧石器时代石器组合之间的关系。早期艾哈迈里安分布于地中海东部地区（称为黎凡特）的大部分地区，其历史范围为 25 至 40,000 年前，代表了世界上最早的旧石器时代晚期工业之一，也可能是欧亚大陆最早生产棱柱形刀片的例子。这种特殊的石器生产方法，用于从一块石头上生产许多细长的切割物（刀片），与早期的石器加工技术显着不同，并且与人类行为和人口扩散的大规模变化同时发生。大约 30-40,000 年前发生在整个欧亚大陆。尽管存在这种区别，早期艾哈迈里传统直到 20 世纪 80 年代初才得到认可，当时它与另一种旧石器时代晚期的技术传统有所区别。这种以高比例叶片元素为中心的分离对于表征黎凡特旧石器时代晚期的变异性做出了重大贡献。然而，在过去的二十年里，艾哈迈里安人已经成为许多高度可变的组合的代称，其唯一的共同点是“刀锋”外观。可以理解的是，这样的分类方案使得早期艾哈迈拉语的分类学使用有些麻烦。虽然棱柱形刀片技术定义了早期艾玛里安人，但基于与刀片制造相关的定量测量的描述却很少。这项研究将通过使用定量措施评估叶片生产策略来研究八种不同的早期艾哈迈里组合之间的关系。这些组合形成了一条穿过西奈半岛中南部、约旦西南部、内盖夫、黎巴嫩中部和土耳其中南部的横断面，代表了不同的环境和场地设置。此外，还将检查三个“外群体”组合。这些外群体组合被纳入尝试中，通过将它们与东南欧的棱柱形刀片制造以及被认为与黎凡特境内的早期艾哈迈里人截然不同的其他石器生产技术进行比较，来确定早期艾哈迈里刀片生产策略的共同主题。在定量描述与这十一个组合相关的叶片生产策略时，一致的比较方法可能有助于区分与当地环境和遗址位置相关的区域差异，并确定早期艾哈迈里时期的共同主题。只有在更好地定义了早期艾哈迈里技术的变异性之后，才能在通常与旧石器时代晚期相关的行为和人口变化的更广泛背景下探讨与棱柱形刀片生产在整个欧亚大陆的传播有关的问题。考古学家知道，最早的解剖学现代人类首先出现在非洲，它们随后传播到新旧世界。尽管人们可能会认为石器等文化属性也以同样的方式传播，但考古证据还远未明确。克里先生的研究将提供相关数据。它还将有助于培养一位有前途的年轻科学家。