This $252,253 federal project grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (CFDA 47.075) program will support research to examine the relationship between economic and sociopolitical organization in a prehistoric society. The key products and services to be delivered include:
Conducting archaeological excavations and analysis of previously excavated lithic (stone tool) materials to document regional-scale production and distribution patterns. This will involve employing a novel application of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to geochemically source the stone used in tool production and trace the distribution networks.
The research aims to shed light on how past economic activities, particularly those involving lithic tools, may have mediated socio-political divides and power dynamics within the studied prehistoric society. The project will also provide mentorship and professionalization opportunities for students, as well as workshops to connect local residents with historic lithic production technologies used in the region. Subawards are planned as part of this project.
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