Under the direction of Dr. Robert Drennan, Mr. Mark Kruszczynski will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological research in the Tres Zapotes region of Mexico, an area which lies in the heartland of prehistoric Olmec culture. The Olmec are best known for the production of massive stone heads - several tons in weight -sculpted from basalt boulders. Fieldwork in the region by Mr. Kruszczynski and others has also demonstrated the presence of many other basalt objects such as manos and metates used to grind food. Several potential raw material source areas and workshops have also been located. In his research, Mr. Kruszczynski will reconstruct the organization of the basalt production industry. He will address four questions: 1. Was there substantial craft specialization in the production of both utilitarian and other basalt items? 2. How was the production organized? 3 Did this production serve to meet purely local needs, regional demand or pan-regional purposes? 4. If there was such craft specialization and regional export, what role did elites play in this production and export and how was this activity related to the overall development of Tres Zapotes? To accomplish these goals, Mr. Kruszczynski and colleagues will conduct a regional survey to locate both basalt outcrops and workshop areas. In areas with dense remains both surface and subsurface samples will be collected and three workshop areas will be extensively excavated. Typological analysis of basalt objects as well as other cultural remains will be conducted and basalts will be examined by thin section to relate objects to source outcrop. The Olmec civilization was the first of a series which arose in prehistoric Middle America and because of its early date represents a `pristine` or independent development. Therefore archaeologists have focused considerable attention on it. Researchers wish to learn what is responsible for the development of this society in a relatively inhospitable Mexican coastline region and several have hypothesized that it is related to the exploitation of local basalt resources. Manos and metates formed an essential subsistence item in Middle American since they were used to grind vegetable foods. However the scale and organization of Olmec basalt manufacture is still not understood and Mr. Kruszczynski's research should provide insight into this. This work is important for several reasons. It will provide data on one of the New World's best known civilizations and this will be of interest to both scientists and the lay public. It will contribute to understanding the processes which lead to the growth of cultural complexity and assist in the training of a promising young scientist.
