Doctoral Dissertation Research: A Middle Pleistocene Landscape Archaeology Project in the Kapthurin Formation, Kenya

博士论文研究：肯尼亚卡普图林地层中更新世景观考古项目

• 批准号: 0432029
• 负责人: Sally McBrearty
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: University of Connecticut
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-08-01 至 2006-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0432029&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Middle; Pleistocene

Under the supervision of Dr. Sally McBrearty, Cara Roure will excavate three Middle Pleistocene archaeological sites in the Kapthurin Formation, Kenya, in order to document land use patterns and subsistence behavior of Middle Pleistocene hominids, specifically H. rhodesiensis. The Kapthurin Formation, west of Lake Baringo in the Kenya Rift Valley, consists of a succession of artifact- and fossil-rich sedimentary members that span most of the Middle Pleistocene. The formation contains many documented archaeological and fossil localities, some of which have yielded fossil remains of H. rhodesiensis, considered the direct precursor to modern H. sapiens. This project focuses on the interval associated with the hominid fossils, from 543 to ka. Detailed paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the basin during this interval has identified a range of contemporaneous microhabitats around a saline lake, a fresh water spring and a riverine system. A site from each of these environmental types will be excavated to supply a sample of behavior across varied habitats. GIS will provide an integrated format within which archaeological data can be related to environmental and spatial variability to create a model of ranging and land use patterns for H. rhodesiensis. Patterns identified in the data will then be compared to those documented for Early Pleistocene hominids and modern foragers in Africa.This project has multiple levels of significance for archaeology and evolutionary anthropology. The understanding of the origins of modern H. sapiens' behavioral adaptation is of key importance. This adaptation is most easily recognized as the evolution of the cognitive capacity for symbolic behavior. A current debate now focuses on the origins of such behavior. A long held view is that this capacity appeared suddenly and late as a "behavioral revolution," long after the origin of anatomically modern H. sapiens. Challenging this, a new hypothesis poses that the modern behavioral adaptation arose gradually but much earlier, in the Middle Pleistocene of Africa. This project is unique in its documentation of land use patterns of African later Middle Pleistocene hominids and will contribute to understanding of origin and evolution of our species. The results will be directly applicable to the ongoing debate regarding the origins of behavioral adaptation of modern H. sapiens in the African Middle Pleistocene.The interdisciplinary nature of this research emphasizes the need for collaboration between many specialties including geology, archaeology, paleontology, GIS, and museum studies. Roure's project is being run in close collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya and will employ museum staff. Roure will be providing field training for Kenyan excavators, and two junior graduate students from the University of Connecticut. Outreach includes working with students at Rectory School (USA) and Loberer Primary School, located in the study area to better understand prehistory and evolution (through classes and textbooks). Results of this project will be applicable to dissemination in academic journals over several disciplines including archaeology, evolutionary anthropology, and geology. However, this work will also impact both undergraduate and secondary education as there is an intense interest in the origins of our species.

在 Sally McBrearty 博士的监督下，Cara Roure 将在肯尼亚卡普图林组 (Kapthurin Formation) 挖掘三个中更新世考古遗址，以记录中更新世原始人类（特别是罗得西亚人）的土地利用模式和生存行为。卡普图林组位于肯尼亚裂谷巴林戈湖以西，由一系列富含人工制品和化石的沉积岩组成，横跨中更新世的大部分地区。该地层包含许多有记录的考古和化石地点，其中一些发现了罗得西亚人的化石遗骸，被认为是现代智人的直接前身。该项目的重点是与原始人类化石相关的时期，从 543 年到 ka。在此期间对该盆地进行的详细古环境重建确定了盐湖、淡水泉和河流系统周围的一系列同期微生境。将挖掘每种环境类型的遗址，以提供不同栖息地的行为样本。 GIS 将提供一种集成格式，在该格式中，考古数据可以与环境和空间变化相关联，以创建罗得西亚人分布范围和土地利用模式的模型。然后，将数据中确定的模式与非洲早期更新世原始人类和现代觅食者记录的模式进行比较。该项目对于考古学和进化人类学具有多个层面的意义。了解现代智人行为适应的起源至关重要。这种适应最容易被认为是符号行为认知能力的进化。当前的争论集中在这种行为的起源上。长期以来的一种观点认为，这种能力是在解剖学意义上的现代智人起源很久之后才作为一场“行为革命”突然而晚间出现的。为了挑战这一点，一个新的假设提出，现代行为适应是在非洲中更新世逐渐但更早出现的。该项目的独特之处在于记录了非洲晚期中更新世原始人类的土地利用模式，并将有助于了解我们物种的起源和进化。研究结果将直接适用于关于非洲中更新世现代智人行为适应起源的持续争论。这项研究的跨学科性质强调了许多专业之间合作的必要性，包括地质学、考古学、古生物学、地理信息系统、和博物馆研究。鲁尔的项目正在与肯尼亚国家博物馆密切合作，并将雇用博物馆工作人员。鲁尔将为肯尼亚挖掘机和康涅狄格大学的两名初级研究生提供现场培训。外展活动包括与位于研究区域的教区长学校（美国）和洛贝勒小学的学生合作，以更好地了解史前史和进化论（通过课程和教科书）。该项目的结果将适用于在考古学、进化人类学和地质学等多个学科的学术期刊上传播。然而，这项工作也将影响本科和中学教育，因为人们对我们物种的起源抱有浓厚的兴趣。