Abstract

Some of the most pivotal questions in human prehistory hinge on archaeological sites that are now under water. While the discovery of submerged sites presents numerous technological challenges, they offer unique potentials for investigating time periods, cultures, and adaptations that are only poorly known on land. Yet despite this potential, the results from underwater research have, to date, had relatively limited impact. One reason is that underwater research rarely produces the systematic coverage of space and material culture that is needed to conduct anthropologically relevant research. The investigation of micro-regions as a means to elucidate economic and social relations in the past has been widely adopted in terrestrial archaeology, and yet is arguably even better suited to submerged settings. By defining specific and comparable localities as the target for intensive search, a micro-regional approach can provide the framework for generating a rigorous systematic coverage of space and material, while still operating within the physical and financial constraints of underwater research. This paper illustrates how a micro-regional approach to submerged landscapes can be operationalized as represented by survey efforts on the Late Paleoindian occupation of the Alpena-Amberley Ridge beneath modern Lake Huron.

摘要

人类史前最关键的问题取决于现在处于水下的考古现场。虽然发现淹没地点带来了许多技术挑战，但它们为调查时间，文化和适应性提供了独特的潜力，而这些时间，文化和适应性在陆地上鲜为人知。尽管有这种潜力，但迄今为止，水下研究的成果影响相对有限。原因之一是水下研究很少能进行人类学相关研究所需的空间和物质文化的系统覆盖。过去，对微区域的研究作为阐明经济和社会关系的一种手段已在陆地考古中广泛采用，但可以说甚至更适合于淹没的环境。通过将特定且可比较的位置定义为密集搜索的目标，微区域方法可以提供框架，以产生对空间和材料的严格系统覆盖，同时仍在水下研究的物理和财务约束下运行。本文说明了如何对淹没景观进行微区域化处理，如对现代休伦湖下的古希腊晚期占领的Alpena-Amberley Ridge的调查工作所代表的那样。