9413028 Dillehay Under the direction of Dr. Tom Dillehay, Mr. David Pollack will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will focus on a series of sites which are located in the Lower Ohio River valley and which date from approximately 1400-1700 AD. Solid archaeological evidence indicates that immediately prior to this time, inhabitants or the region were organized into a "chiefdom." Political centralization is demonstrated not only by population density, but also by the construction of large and impressive earthworks. 1400 AD marks the decline of this polity. What makes this particular archaeological case interesting however is that population appears not to decline. Rather it is maintained at a high level. Secondly, trade with surrounding areas, as demonstrated by the importation of exotic goods, actually increases. As centralized polities disintegrate, the opposite is normally the case. Mr. Pollack will examine the nature and extent of trade over the 1400-1700 AD period. He will expand the data base he has already emceed and collect material from the surface of known archaeological sites. He will also examine museum collections. Because origins of distinct ceramic styles are relatively well known, they provide insight into the intensity and direction of trade. This research is important for several reasons. It examines an instance of what, based on standard archaeological criteria, is viewed as cultural "devolution." It will provide an opportunity to evaluate these criteria themselves and also afford insight into how cultures change over time. The data will be of interest to many archaeologists. The project will also assist in the training of a promising young scientist.
