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Current Anthropology, 1987
Current Anthropology Volume 28, Number 4, August-October 1987 © 1987 by The Wenner-Gren Foundatio... more Current Anthropology Volume 28, Number 4, August-October 1987 © 1987 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved ooii-3204/87/28o4-oooi$i.i5 Terracing and Irrigation in the Peruvian Highlands1 by David Guillet Agricultural terraces in the ...
Dataset associated with publication of the same title published in Latin American Antiquity in 20... more Dataset associated with publication of the same title published in Latin American Antiquity in 2021. The dataset includes a range of data related to an investigation of diet, stature and mobility in the middle preceramic sites of Paloma, Chilca I, La Yerba II and Morro I on the south coast of Peru and northern Chile. Tables include: 1) Individual stable isotope (nitrogen, carbon) from human bone samples from Paloma, La Yerba III and Chilca I generated in this study; 2) Individual and summary data on estimated stature from long bone lengths and biomechanical indicator (femoral midshaft Imax/Imin) data from individual adult skeletons from Paloma, Morro I, and later agriculturalists from the Azapa Valley, northern Chile; 3) Details of two new direct radiocarbon dates on human skeletal remains from Paloma; 4) New and published radiocarbon dates from Paloma calibrated using ShCal13 (Hogg et al. 2013), and then modelled using OxCal’s Bayesian analysis following Bronk Ramsey (2009, 2017), in a sequence of phases, according to reported stratigraphic sequence.; 5) New and existing radiocarbon dates from Paloma and existing dates from La Yerba III, Chilca I and Morro I collated and calibrated using ShCal13 (Hogg et al. 2013), and then modelled as a single phase using OxCal’s Bayesian analysis following Bronk Ramsey (2009, 2017)); 6) A chronological summary of individuals from Morro I included in the publication, based on previously published information, that includes cultural phasing, isotopic analyses, and associated and direct radiocarbon dates for each individual
Surviving Sudden Environmental Change
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020
Significance Disaster management policies are aimed at system resistance: Maintaining or quickly ... more Significance Disaster management policies are aimed at system resistance: Maintaining or quickly returning to operations established during normal periods. The Peruvian approach to El Niño follows this model, but the cost of reconstruction rises with each event. Meanwhile, archaeological evidence demonstrates that El Niño events were successfully managed by prehispanic farmers, who developed resilient hybrid canal systems that utilized both river water and floodwater for agricultural production. Ancient farmers treated the El Niño phenomenon as part of the norm, and likewise accounted for floodwaters in their irrigation technology. This study calls for a conceptual shift as effective disaster management policy is developed in the context of the global climate crisis.
Cell, 2020
There are many unanswered questions about the population history of the Central and South Central... more There are many unanswered questions about the population history of the Central and South Central Andes, particularly regarding the impact of large-scale societies, such as the Moche, Wari, Tiwanaku, and Inca. We assembled genome-wide data on 89 individuals dating from 9,000-500 years ago (BP), with a particular focus on the period of the rise and fall of state societies. Today's genetic structure began to develop by 5,800 BP, followed by bi-directional gene flow between the North and South Highlands, and between the Highlands and Coast. We detect minimal admixture among neighboring groups between 2,000-500 BP, although we do detect cosmopolitanism (people of diverse ancestries living sideby-side) in the heartlands of the Tiwanaku and Inca polities. We also highlight cases of long-range mobility connecting the Andes to Argentina and the Northwest Andes to the Amazon Basin.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
The transition from the Middle Preceramic (8000-4500 cal BP) to the Late Preceramic Period (4450-... more The transition from the Middle Preceramic (8000-4500 cal BP) to the Late Preceramic Period (4450-3800 cal BP) in coastal Perú witnessed a dramatic change in both resource management and subsistence practices: lomas environments were abandoned in favor of riparian and littoral ecozones, while hunting and gathering was increasingly replaced by agriculture. The reason behind this transition remains a subject of debate; it has been attributed to population pressure, the development of domesticates, especially maize, environmental degradation or climate change. A recent regional study (Beresford-Jones et al., 2015) supports the 1960s Edward Lanning hypothesis that a combination of environmental and climate change forced Middle Preceramic occupants to move toward the river estuaries on the South Coast. Here, microbotanical data from the Late Preceramic site of El Paraíso on the Central Coast of Peru tests the Lanning hypothesis at the site-scale. The data demonstrate that inhabitants practiced a seasonal, Broad-Spectrum strategy by taking advantage of an ENSO-related florescence. Meanwhile, a trend toward increased salinity of nearby marshlands impacted the continued occupation of the site.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablatio... more This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and thin-section analysis of 74 majolica sherds from 16th-18th Century sites in the Zaña Valley and Magdalena de Cao Viejo, Peru, and Panama Viejo, Panama. The majority of majolica samples from Peru are chemically associated with Panamanian reference groups, indicating their production in Panama; however, the remainder appears to be Andean-made, based on their distinct chemical signatures. These latter vessels seem to have been produced in Peru and build upon our understanding of colonial majolica manufacture in South America. Furthermore, the presence of blue-series decoration makes important contributions to our understanding of the Andean sphere of loza production.
Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2017
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2017
Through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microstructural analysis, we examine the firing techno... more Through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microstructural analysis, we examine the firing technology of Early Green Glazed (EGG) Warea variety of "hybrid" lead-glazed ceramics produced in Peru's north coast region during the 16 th century CE. Previous scholars have interpreted EGG Ware as the product of indigenous potters who fired ceramics in kilns and learned how to make glazed vessels through direct instruction from Iberian ceramicists. We argue that the production of EGG Ware entailed a more complex process of technological incorporation and innovation. SEM microstructural analysis of 44 refired and unrefired archaeological samples suggests that these ceramics were originally fired under highly variable conditions. Parallel analysis of five samples of lead-glazed ceramics produced in open firings by Peruvian artisans in the 1980's reveals consistent firing beyond their clays' maturation temperatures. Based on these results and analysis of whole EGG Ware vessels from museum collections, we suggest that at least some of our EGG Ware samples were produced in open firings. In turn, we argue that EGG Ware reflects the creativity of native potters who adapted indigenous firing technologies and experimented with different technological parameters in the process of forging a new decorative tradition.
For seven centuries the people of the north coast of Peru participated in what has come to be cal... more For seven centuries the people of the north coast of Peru participated in what has come to be called the Moche Archaeological Culture. Moche is best known for remarkable ceramics that depicted gods, heroes, and, apparently, ordinary people-as shown in this group photograph. Top row, left to right:
Journal of Anthropological Research, 1999
Garth Bawden has written the first general overview of the Moche culture to appear in over 20 yea... more Garth Bawden has written the first general overview of the Moche culture to appear in over 20 years. As part of "The Peoples of America" series currently being published by Blackwell Publishers, this book is a very welcome synthesis of the Moche culture that is based on iconographic analysis of pottery and other Moche artifacts; recent spectacular finds at Sipan,
In this essay I briefly review the history of Moche studies, the essential features of this archa... more In this essay I briefly review the history of Moche studies, the essential features of this archaeological culture of the North Coast of Peru (ca. 1900-1100 B.P.), and its general economy. I then present current issues, discussions, and debates on Moche regional political organization, religion, warfare, and their interrelations. I suggest that the interpretation of Moche art has been undertheorized and the interpretation of archaeology has lacked nuance. I question the proposal of warfare as "ritual," that the temple mound complexes were centers of political power, that the elite buried in them were rulers, that the compounds and streets near them were cities, and whether proposals for a conquest Moche state are plausible. I suggest that these and other interpretations about the Moche are becoming accepted as facts without considering alternative interpretations of the data and that much information is lacking. Rather than having reached a stage when we can synthesize concepts about Moche culture we are only just beginning to understand it.
Bulletin de l’Institut français d’études andines, 2010
The two different modes of investigation in Art History and Anthropological Archaeology are discu... more The two different modes of investigation in Art History and Anthropological Archaeology are discussed. This is followed by a consideration of these issues in relation to the Mochica archaeological culture. The "Mochica" have come to be considered a political or ethnic group and, in particular, considered as a prehistoric state. This essay questions these ideas and suggests that Moche is best considered as primarily a religious system. The ceremonial centers were likely places of pilgrimage with more complicated roles in politics than previous models have considered although changing roles through time must be considered.
Current Anthropology, 1987
Current Anthropology Volume 28, Number 4, August-October 1987 © 1987 by The Wenner-Gren Foundatio... more Current Anthropology Volume 28, Number 4, August-October 1987 © 1987 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved ooii-3204/87/28o4-oooi$i.i5 Terracing and Irrigation in the Peruvian Highlands1 by David Guillet Agricultural terraces in the ...
Dataset associated with publication of the same title published in Latin American Antiquity in 20... more Dataset associated with publication of the same title published in Latin American Antiquity in 2021. The dataset includes a range of data related to an investigation of diet, stature and mobility in the middle preceramic sites of Paloma, Chilca I, La Yerba II and Morro I on the south coast of Peru and northern Chile. Tables include: 1) Individual stable isotope (nitrogen, carbon) from human bone samples from Paloma, La Yerba III and Chilca I generated in this study; 2) Individual and summary data on estimated stature from long bone lengths and biomechanical indicator (femoral midshaft Imax/Imin) data from individual adult skeletons from Paloma, Morro I, and later agriculturalists from the Azapa Valley, northern Chile; 3) Details of two new direct radiocarbon dates on human skeletal remains from Paloma; 4) New and published radiocarbon dates from Paloma calibrated using ShCal13 (Hogg et al. 2013), and then modelled using OxCal’s Bayesian analysis following Bronk Ramsey (2009, 2017), in a sequence of phases, according to reported stratigraphic sequence.; 5) New and existing radiocarbon dates from Paloma and existing dates from La Yerba III, Chilca I and Morro I collated and calibrated using ShCal13 (Hogg et al. 2013), and then modelled as a single phase using OxCal’s Bayesian analysis following Bronk Ramsey (2009, 2017)); 6) A chronological summary of individuals from Morro I included in the publication, based on previously published information, that includes cultural phasing, isotopic analyses, and associated and direct radiocarbon dates for each individual
Surviving Sudden Environmental Change
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020
Significance Disaster management policies are aimed at system resistance: Maintaining or quickly ... more Significance Disaster management policies are aimed at system resistance: Maintaining or quickly returning to operations established during normal periods. The Peruvian approach to El Niño follows this model, but the cost of reconstruction rises with each event. Meanwhile, archaeological evidence demonstrates that El Niño events were successfully managed by prehispanic farmers, who developed resilient hybrid canal systems that utilized both river water and floodwater for agricultural production. Ancient farmers treated the El Niño phenomenon as part of the norm, and likewise accounted for floodwaters in their irrigation technology. This study calls for a conceptual shift as effective disaster management policy is developed in the context of the global climate crisis.
Cell, 2020
There are many unanswered questions about the population history of the Central and South Central... more There are many unanswered questions about the population history of the Central and South Central Andes, particularly regarding the impact of large-scale societies, such as the Moche, Wari, Tiwanaku, and Inca. We assembled genome-wide data on 89 individuals dating from 9,000-500 years ago (BP), with a particular focus on the period of the rise and fall of state societies. Today's genetic structure began to develop by 5,800 BP, followed by bi-directional gene flow between the North and South Highlands, and between the Highlands and Coast. We detect minimal admixture among neighboring groups between 2,000-500 BP, although we do detect cosmopolitanism (people of diverse ancestries living sideby-side) in the heartlands of the Tiwanaku and Inca polities. We also highlight cases of long-range mobility connecting the Andes to Argentina and the Northwest Andes to the Amazon Basin.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
The transition from the Middle Preceramic (8000-4500 cal BP) to the Late Preceramic Period (4450-... more The transition from the Middle Preceramic (8000-4500 cal BP) to the Late Preceramic Period (4450-3800 cal BP) in coastal Perú witnessed a dramatic change in both resource management and subsistence practices: lomas environments were abandoned in favor of riparian and littoral ecozones, while hunting and gathering was increasingly replaced by agriculture. The reason behind this transition remains a subject of debate; it has been attributed to population pressure, the development of domesticates, especially maize, environmental degradation or climate change. A recent regional study (Beresford-Jones et al., 2015) supports the 1960s Edward Lanning hypothesis that a combination of environmental and climate change forced Middle Preceramic occupants to move toward the river estuaries on the South Coast. Here, microbotanical data from the Late Preceramic site of El Paraíso on the Central Coast of Peru tests the Lanning hypothesis at the site-scale. The data demonstrate that inhabitants practiced a seasonal, Broad-Spectrum strategy by taking advantage of an ENSO-related florescence. Meanwhile, a trend toward increased salinity of nearby marshlands impacted the continued occupation of the site.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablatio... more This study presents the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and thin-section analysis of 74 majolica sherds from 16th-18th Century sites in the Zaña Valley and Magdalena de Cao Viejo, Peru, and Panama Viejo, Panama. The majority of majolica samples from Peru are chemically associated with Panamanian reference groups, indicating their production in Panama; however, the remainder appears to be Andean-made, based on their distinct chemical signatures. These latter vessels seem to have been produced in Peru and build upon our understanding of colonial majolica manufacture in South America. Furthermore, the presence of blue-series decoration makes important contributions to our understanding of the Andean sphere of loza production.
Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2017
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2017
Through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microstructural analysis, we examine the firing techno... more Through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) microstructural analysis, we examine the firing technology of Early Green Glazed (EGG) Warea variety of "hybrid" lead-glazed ceramics produced in Peru's north coast region during the 16 th century CE. Previous scholars have interpreted EGG Ware as the product of indigenous potters who fired ceramics in kilns and learned how to make glazed vessels through direct instruction from Iberian ceramicists. We argue that the production of EGG Ware entailed a more complex process of technological incorporation and innovation. SEM microstructural analysis of 44 refired and unrefired archaeological samples suggests that these ceramics were originally fired under highly variable conditions. Parallel analysis of five samples of lead-glazed ceramics produced in open firings by Peruvian artisans in the 1980's reveals consistent firing beyond their clays' maturation temperatures. Based on these results and analysis of whole EGG Ware vessels from museum collections, we suggest that at least some of our EGG Ware samples were produced in open firings. In turn, we argue that EGG Ware reflects the creativity of native potters who adapted indigenous firing technologies and experimented with different technological parameters in the process of forging a new decorative tradition.
For seven centuries the people of the north coast of Peru participated in what has come to be cal... more For seven centuries the people of the north coast of Peru participated in what has come to be called the Moche Archaeological Culture. Moche is best known for remarkable ceramics that depicted gods, heroes, and, apparently, ordinary people-as shown in this group photograph. Top row, left to right:
Journal of Anthropological Research, 1999
Garth Bawden has written the first general overview of the Moche culture to appear in over 20 yea... more Garth Bawden has written the first general overview of the Moche culture to appear in over 20 years. As part of "The Peoples of America" series currently being published by Blackwell Publishers, this book is a very welcome synthesis of the Moche culture that is based on iconographic analysis of pottery and other Moche artifacts; recent spectacular finds at Sipan,
In this essay I briefly review the history of Moche studies, the essential features of this archa... more In this essay I briefly review the history of Moche studies, the essential features of this archaeological culture of the North Coast of Peru (ca. 1900-1100 B.P.), and its general economy. I then present current issues, discussions, and debates on Moche regional political organization, religion, warfare, and their interrelations. I suggest that the interpretation of Moche art has been undertheorized and the interpretation of archaeology has lacked nuance. I question the proposal of warfare as "ritual," that the temple mound complexes were centers of political power, that the elite buried in them were rulers, that the compounds and streets near them were cities, and whether proposals for a conquest Moche state are plausible. I suggest that these and other interpretations about the Moche are becoming accepted as facts without considering alternative interpretations of the data and that much information is lacking. Rather than having reached a stage when we can synthesize concepts about Moche culture we are only just beginning to understand it.
Bulletin de l’Institut français d’études andines, 2010
The two different modes of investigation in Art History and Anthropological Archaeology are discu... more The two different modes of investigation in Art History and Anthropological Archaeology are discussed. This is followed by a consideration of these issues in relation to the Mochica archaeological culture. The "Mochica" have come to be considered a political or ethnic group and, in particular, considered as a prehistoric state. This essay questions these ideas and suggests that Moche is best considered as primarily a religious system. The ceremonial centers were likely places of pilgrimage with more complicated roles in politics than previous models have considered although changing roles through time must be considered.
This volume contains the following articles, research reports, and obituaries: "Earl Henry Lubens... more This volume contains the following articles, research reports, and obituaries: "Earl Henry Lubensky (March 31, 1921 - May 1, 2009)" by Deborah M. Pearsall; "Juan (Hans) Santiago Rene Schobinger (February 18, 1928 - July 11, 2009)" by Constanza Ceruti; "A Changing Society? Craft Specialization and Complementarity Systems during the Formative Period in the Cochabamba Valley, Bolivia" by Olga U. Gabelmann; "Moche Architectural Vessels: Small Structures Big Implications" by Juliet Wiersema; "The Well and the Huaca: Ceremony, Chronology, and Culture Change at Huaca Cao Viejo, Chicama Valley, Peru" by Jeffrey Quilter, Regulo Franco J., Cesar Galvez M., William Doonan, Catherine Gaither, Victor F. Vasquez S., Teresa E. Rosales T., Jaime Jimenez S., Hal Starratt, and Michele L. Koons; "Adobe Bricks and Labor Organization on the North Coast of Peru" by Howard I. Tsai; "A Bioarchaeological Study of Coca Use and Coca Leaf Chewing at Puruchuco-Huaquerones, Peru" by Melissa S. Murphy and Maria Fernanda Boza; "The Destruction of the Yurac Rumi Shrine (Vilcabamba, Cusco Department)" by Brian S. Bauer, Miriam Dayde Araoz Silva, and George S. Burr; "Inca Storage and Accounting Facilities at Pachacamac" by Peter Eeckhout; "Regional Associations and a Ceramic Assemblage from the Fourteenth Century Llanos de Mojos" by John H. Walker; "Recent Excavations at the Late Intermediate Period Village of Yanaorco in the Cajamarca Highlands" by Jason L. Toohy; "A Colonial Human Burial Excavated in 1965 between Portals 5 and 6 at Huanuco Pampa" by Monica Barnes, Catherine Gaither, Robert A. Benfer, Jr., and Daniel Shea; "Mitomarca: A Possible Fortification in the Upper Huallaga Basin" by Yuichi Matsumoto, Jason S. Nesbitt, and Denesy Palacio J.; "An Initial Period Domestic Occupation at Huaca Cortada, Caballo Muerto Complex" by Jason S. Nesbitt; "Marine Exploitation and Paleoenvironment as Viewed through Molluscan Resources at the Early Horizon Center of Huambacho, Nepena Valley, Coastal Ancash" by David Chicoine and Carol Rojas; "Architecture in the Coastal Desert" by Simon Urbina A., Leonor Adan A., and Estefania Vidal M.; "La Bolsa 1 Site, Tafi Valley, Tucuman Province: Household Mortuary Practices in a South Andean Village (First Millennium A.D.)" by Julian Salazar.