填空题
A. Recent archaeological research has focused on a phenomenon
barely noticed before: extensive patches of rich black soil found along the
banks and on terraces above all major rivers in the Amazon. Some cover an area
of many acres and are up to 6 feet deep. They are thought to have formed over
many centuries as the accumulated product of organic remains left by native
settlements. These soils are usually filled with fragments of busted ceramics
and are now being studied for clues to the rise of tropical forest civilizations
in the Amazon Basin. Local farmers regard the black soils as a "gift from the
past" because they are naturally fertile and have the ability to support a wide
range of crops.
B. Secondly, there is a truly impressive diversity of languages, with several hundred distinct tongues and dialects. This verbal diversity must have evolved over thousands of years and implies an occupation of the Amazon basin for at least 14,000 years, a figure supported by archaeological evidence. The rock art in the Amazon Basin may be as old as human occupation itself. Images are carved and painted on exposed rock near rapids and waterfalls where fishing is most productive, and in caves and rock shelters close to archaeological sites.
C. Two factors have been instrumental in lifting the veil of misunderstanding. First is a surprisingly diverse range of ceramic styles. Recent research seems to confirm that a creative explosion of styles occurred about 2,000 years ago. Archaeological digs in the highest reaches of the Upper Amazon have demonstrated the existence of a widespread style of painting large watertight jars in bold black, red and cream designs. This same style has been found on an isle at the mouth of the Amazon, and appears to have its origins where the Amazon meets the ocean, later spreading across much of the Upper Amazon. The style transcends local and regional cultures and points to considerable intercourse between societies along the vast river network.
D. The native peoples of the Amazon can no longer be seen as isolated communities in the depths of the forest or dispersed along rivers. We still have much to learn about their societies, but the rainforest should no longer be seen as an untouched "paradise".
E. Among the most exciting discoveries are funeral jars dating to A. D. 1400-1700 found in caves and rock shelters near the mouth of the Amazon. The bones of men, women and children were preserved in individually dedicated vessels. It seems that the sites were visited regularly over the years and new jars added as family members expired. These burials reflect the family ties of ancient settlements and their nurturing of links between the living and the dead.
F. Population collapse and movement along the principal rivers of the Amazon system have contributed to a veil of misunderstanding that has long covered the cultural achievements of tropical forest societies. Diffuse bands hunting deep in the forest interior eventually came to be seen as the typical tropical forest adaptation. So much so that when archaeological studies began in earnest at the mouth of the Amazon in the 1950s, scientists argued that the sophisticated culture they were discovering could not have originated in the Amazon Basin itself, but must have been derived from more advanced cultures elsewhere. They imagined the tropical forest to be an "imitation paradise" unable to support much beyond a simple hunting-and-gathering way of life. This mistaken idea has exerted a persistent influence ever since.
G. The future of the Amazon Basin is now a subject of fierce debate. Knowledge about the past has a vital role to play in planning and decision making for the future. Archaeology points to successful methods for adapting to the forest, grounded in practical expertise and empirical knowledge of the limitations and possibilities of this environment. These techniques for wise management are becoming a matter of global concern.
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B. Secondly, there is a truly impressive diversity of languages, with several hundred distinct tongues and dialects. This verbal diversity must have evolved over thousands of years and implies an occupation of the Amazon basin for at least 14,000 years, a figure supported by archaeological evidence. The rock art in the Amazon Basin may be as old as human occupation itself. Images are carved and painted on exposed rock near rapids and waterfalls where fishing is most productive, and in caves and rock shelters close to archaeological sites.
C. Two factors have been instrumental in lifting the veil of misunderstanding. First is a surprisingly diverse range of ceramic styles. Recent research seems to confirm that a creative explosion of styles occurred about 2,000 years ago. Archaeological digs in the highest reaches of the Upper Amazon have demonstrated the existence of a widespread style of painting large watertight jars in bold black, red and cream designs. This same style has been found on an isle at the mouth of the Amazon, and appears to have its origins where the Amazon meets the ocean, later spreading across much of the Upper Amazon. The style transcends local and regional cultures and points to considerable intercourse between societies along the vast river network.
D. The native peoples of the Amazon can no longer be seen as isolated communities in the depths of the forest or dispersed along rivers. We still have much to learn about their societies, but the rainforest should no longer be seen as an untouched "paradise".
E. Among the most exciting discoveries are funeral jars dating to A. D. 1400-1700 found in caves and rock shelters near the mouth of the Amazon. The bones of men, women and children were preserved in individually dedicated vessels. It seems that the sites were visited regularly over the years and new jars added as family members expired. These burials reflect the family ties of ancient settlements and their nurturing of links between the living and the dead.
F. Population collapse and movement along the principal rivers of the Amazon system have contributed to a veil of misunderstanding that has long covered the cultural achievements of tropical forest societies. Diffuse bands hunting deep in the forest interior eventually came to be seen as the typical tropical forest adaptation. So much so that when archaeological studies began in earnest at the mouth of the Amazon in the 1950s, scientists argued that the sophisticated culture they were discovering could not have originated in the Amazon Basin itself, but must have been derived from more advanced cultures elsewhere. They imagined the tropical forest to be an "imitation paradise" unable to support much beyond a simple hunting-and-gathering way of life. This mistaken idea has exerted a persistent influence ever since.
G. The future of the Amazon Basin is now a subject of fierce debate. Knowledge about the past has a vital role to play in planning and decision making for the future. Archaeology points to successful methods for adapting to the forest, grounded in practical expertise and empirical knowledge of the limitations and possibilities of this environment. These techniques for wise management are becoming a matter of global concern.
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