Showing papers in "Latin American Antiquity in 2011"
TL;DR: Bonomo, Mariano, et al. as mentioned in this paper, presented a paper on Bonomo's work at the Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet -La Plata, Argentina.
Abstract: Fil: Bonomo, Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Cientifico de Arqueologia; Argentina
114 citations
TL;DR: This review finds that the strongest candidate for the botanical origin of domesticated manioc—the wild progenitor of the root crop—is the species Manihot esculenta subspecies flabellifolia (Pohl) Ciferri, which is most likely in the Brazilian Cerrado.
Abstract: Owing to poor preservation of organic remains in humid environments, direct evidence of early manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation is exceptionally rare in datable archaeological contexts. ...
52 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, aplicar tecnicas de morfometria geometrica a una muestra de 24 puntas recuperadas en Uruguay, se observa una correlación significativa entre forma and tamano, lo cual indicates a relación alometrica.
Abstract: Las puntas de proyectil Cola de Pescado o tipo Fell I son comunmente asociadas con las poblaciones que habitaron Sudamerica durante el Pleistoceno Tardio - Holoceno Temprano. La mayoria de estas puntas han sido recuperadas en la region pampeana argentina, Uruguay, Chile central y Patagonia meridional. Se definen por poseer limbo convexo, hombros redondeados, pedunculo de bordes levemente concavos, base concava y en algunos casos acanaladura en una o ambas caras del pedunculo. La presencia de acanaladura y su asignacion cronologica han sido propuestas como evidencias para sustentar el vinculo cultural con las puntas tempranas de Norteamerica. Con el objetivo de explorar cuantitativamente las variaciones en forma y tamano, se aplicaron tecnicas de morfometria geometrica a una muestra de 24 puntas recuperadas en Uruguay. Las variaciones morfologicas fueron contrastadas con atributos metricos, procedencia geografica y tipo de materia prima litica. Los resultados no sugieren relaciones entre las variables morfologicas, procedencia y tipo de materia prima. Sin embargo, se observa una correlacion significativa entre forma y tamano, lo cual indica una relacion alometrica. Finalmente, se discuten los resultados en terminos de diseno e historia de vida de los artefactos y sus relaciones con la tecnologia de los cazadores-recolectores del Pleistoceno Tardio-Holoceno Temprano.
52 citations
TL;DR: The most likely scenario to account for the deposits is that the Itza, a dominant political group in the area, sacrificed enemy combatants drawn from raiding and buried them as a part of a dedicatory ritual in the temple as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Excavations at the site of Ixlu in northern Guatemala recovered a series of skulls and dismembered postcrania from a Postclassic (ca. A.D. 1000—1525) Maya temple. The current study considers demography, taphonomy (including mortuary processing), cultural modification and biological distance among the remains in light of ethnohistoric and archaeological data. Doing so addresses who made the deposits, why they were made, and who was interred, and informs on the use of ritual violence in the Postclassic Southern Lowlands. Six skulls were arranged in pairs on the east-west midline of the building, and fifteen skulls were placed in rows in the center of the building. All of the skulls faced east. Four postcrania were placed perpendicular to the skull rows. The skulls and postcrania were primarily late adolescent to young adult males. Three of the individuals exhibited a rare dental trait, supernumerary teeth, indicating that at least some of the individuals were related. The most likely scenario to account for the deposits is that the Itza, a dominant political group in the area, sacrificed enemy combatants drawn from raiding and buried them as a part of a dedicatory ritual in the temple.
34 citations
TL;DR: The authors describe evidencias de procesamiento carnicero halladas en los esqueletos del roedor Lagostomus maximus (vizcacha pampeana) provenientes de sitios arqueologicos del Holoceno Tardio Final (1000 a 600 a.P.) of Tandilia Oriental (provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina).
Abstract: Se describen las evidencias de procesamiento carnicero halladas en los esqueletos del roedor Lagostomus maximus (vizcacha pampeana) provenientes de sitios arqueologicos del Holoceno Tardio Final (1000 a 600 a.P.) de las sierras de Tandilia Oriental (provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina). La diversidad osea registrada, la cantidad de ejemplares, las huellas de corte, las de raspado y las fracturas intencionales indican que las vizcachas fueron ingresadas enteras a los sitios y que se les aplicaron procesos de desollado, desarticulacion, descarne y fracturas. La comparacion con la explotacion de la vizcacha durante milenios anteriores en las mismas sierras muestra que solo hacia el Holoceno Tardio Final esta especie adquirio mayor importancia numerica y le fueron aplicados procesos carniceros mas elaborados. Este fenomeno esta vinculado al desarrollo de una subsistencia de intensificacion y diversificacion en la cual la caza menor fue preponderante en Tandilia.
31 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present radiocarbon ages from well-defined stratigraphic contexts to establish a site chronology and suggest that by A.D. 450 Uxbenka was the center of a regional political system connected to some of the larger polities in the Maya world.
Abstract: This paper pursues the application of a central tenet of the dual-processual framework, the corporate/network continuum, to the development of Uxbenka, a small monument-bearing polity in the southern Maya Lowlands. During its growth, Uxbenka underwent a transformation from a small farming community to a complex polity with many of the trappings of elite authority that characterizes Classic Maya centers. It was one of the earliest complex polities to develop on the southeastern periphery of the Maya lowlands during the Early Classic period (A.D. 300—600). The polity was founded upon earlier agricultural communities that are now known to extend back to at least A.D. 100. Starting after A.D. 200 the location of the original agricultural village (Group A) was leveled and reorganized to form a public monument garden and the center of political authority throughout much of the Classic period (A.D. 400—800). In this article we present radiocarbon ages from well-defined stratigraphic contexts to establish a site chronology. Based on these data we suggest that by A.D. 450 Uxbenka was the center of a regional political system connected to some of the larger polities in the Maya world (e.g., Tikal). We argue that at this time Uxbenka underwent a significant change from a polity organized by a corporate inclusionary form of ruler-ship to a more networked one marked by exclusionary authority vested in elites who privileged their ancestral relations and network interactions across the geopolitical landscape.
31 citations
TL;DR: Tripcevich et al. as discussed by the authors found evidence of broad quarrying activities in unexplored portions of the source area, together with evidence of early stage lithic reduction at the source.
Abstract: Artifacts made from Quispisisa obsidian are widely disseminated in the Peruvian Andes, but the geological source of the Quispisisa geochemical type was only recently located in southern Ayacucho. Following the positive identification of the source in 1999 by Richard Burger and colleagues, we found evidence of broad quarrying activities in unexplored portions of the source area. We describe 34 quarry pits, some as large as 80 m across, together with evidence of early- stage lithic reduction at the source. We encountered high concentrations of reduction debris associated with more extensive knapping in two localities, but our preliminary evaluation of surface evidence suggests that much of the material quarried was removed from the area as intact nodules or after minimal reduction at the source area. Los estudios geoquimicos de la obsidiana en los Andes Centrales han demostrado que la gran mayoria de los artefactos prehispanicos hechos de obsidiana se produjeron utilizando materia prima de ocho fuentes, cada una de las cuales es distinta en terminos de composicion geoquimica. De las ocho fuentes, material de Alca, Chivay, y Quispisisa predomina en las colecciones de todas las epocas prehispanicas. El tipo geoquimico de obsidiana llamado Quispisisa ocupa una posicion importante en la historia del Peru prehispanico, pues herramientas hechas de este material se han encontrado en muchos sitios de la costa y sierra de la parte norcentral del pais. Esos sitios se caracterizan por encontrarse dispersos en un amplio marco espacial y temporal, pues algunos se ubican en lugares distantes de la fuente y corresponden a epocas diversas, inclusive, algunas de ellas tan antiguas como el Preceramico Temprano. A pesar de esa importancia evidente, hasta la fecha solo se habia ubicado la fuente, y faltaba cualquier exploracion y registro detallado de los afloramientos de obsidiana y de los rasgos de explotacion humana de la zona. A partir del ano 2007 Tripcevich y Contreras visitaron la fuente ubicada por Richard Burger y sus colegas en la zona de Huanca Sancos, Ayacucho; posteriormente en el ano 2009 los autores, con el apoyo de unas colegas, ampliaban las investigaciones y como producto de ello han revelado que el area geografica que abarca la fuente de obsidiana tipo Quispisisa es mucho mas extensa de lo que se habia pensado. Asimismo, han logrado documentar la existencia de varios rasgos de explotacion de la fuente tales como: pozos de cantera, lascas de reduccion inicial de material, y caminos, los mismos que evidencian la presencia de la actividad de la canteria de obsidiana a una escala unica en los Andes.
28 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present landscape features as correlates of the variety and scale of tasks that compose the processes of creating and managing them, meaning that landscapes are the result of overlapping, interdependent communal tasks.
Abstract: Across the Americas, but particularly in the Amazon Basin, precolumbian farmers invested their labor in features such as canals, causeways, and raised fields, creating agricultural landscapes. These landscapes required organized action in order to build and maintain them. Such actions can be usefully described as "tasks" to draw specific connections between com munal work and landscape features (Ingold 1993). Using two parallel examples from the precolumbian Bolivian Amazon, this article presents landscape features as correlates of the variety and scale of tasks that compose the processes of creat ing and managing them. Data come from remote sensing and pedestrian survey. The execution of some tasks affects the exe cution of others, meaning that landscapes are the result of overlapping, interdependent communal tasks. This taskscape perspective allows landscapes to be compared with greater precision and shows that details of local spatial and task orga nization are important to understanding agricultural change. The comparison of two taskscapes reveals details of daily life and intensive agriculture that are obscured by the classification of societies as states or chiefdoms.
28 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the restos of micromamiferos and pequenos vertebrados of Caviidae and Ctenomyidae were studied in the sitio arqueologico Quebrada del Real 1, provincia de Cordoba, Argentina.
Abstract: Se estudiaron los restos de micromamiferos y otros pequenos vertebrados (Numero de Especimenes Identificados = 2,754) del sitio arqueologico Quebrada del Real 1, provincia de Cordoba, Argentina. Las muestras analizadas estuvieron dominadas por roedores caviomorfos de las familias Caviidae y Ctenomyidae, incluyendo taxones de tamano relativamente grande (200—700 g), habitos coloniales o gregarios, ubicacion predecible, y faciles de explotar como recurso. El estudio tafonomico de los restos sugiere que las acumulaciones tienen un origen mayoritario en actividades antropicas de consumo. Las evidencias incluyen la presencia de huellas de corte (especialmente en mandibulas y huesos del esqueleto apendicular) y un patron diferencial de alteracion termica, mayormente restringido a las porciones distales de tibias. En el contexto regional, el consumo de pequenos vertebrados sugiere que la implementacion de una dieta de amplio espectro posiblemente no sea un proceso arqueologico exclusivamente tardio, sino que se remonta al menos al limite Holoceno Medio-Tardio (ca. 3000 a.P.).
26 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a localización of 10 canteras de agata traslucida descubiertas in the Region Arqueologica Catalanes Nacientes Arapey (RACNA), definiendo una zona de abastecimiento de agatas in el norte de Uruguay, is presented.
Abstract: El articulo presenta la localizacion de 10 canteras de agata traslucida descubiertas en la Region Arqueologica Catalanes Nacientes Arapey (RACNA), definiendo una zona de abastecimiento de agatas en el norte de Uruguay. Esta materia prima es el segundo recurso litico mas utilizado en los contextos estratigraficos tempranos datados por ¹⁴C en el noroeste de Uruguay, luego de la arenisca silicificada. Se analiza la frecuencia-distribucion de agata traslucida en dos sitios residenciales de cazadores-recolectores tempranos, Pay Paso 1 (11,000-8500 a.P.), sitio K87 (10,420 a.P.), y en un sitio canterataller Catalan Seco 1 (CS-1). Se presenta una solida base cronologica para el sitio Pay Paso 1 que incluye 32 fechas ¹⁴C lo que permitio reconocer tres componentes tempranos donde se registra una tecnologia orientada hacia la produccion de hojas durante el inicio de ocupacion de Pay Paso 1 (10,930-10,880 a.P.). El trabajo discute las formas principales de aprovisionamiento del agata traslucida durante el poblamiento de Uruguay, que se relacionan con la accesibilidad del recurso, la tecnologia litica, el territorio y la movilidad de los cazadores-recolectores tempranos de la region. Se registran desplazamientos de entre 140-170 km desde sitios residenciales hasta la zona de aprovisionamiento de agata.
25 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors build on the premise that local knowledge of limestone and its workable characteristics was foundational to landscape inhabitation in the Puuc region of Yucatan, Mexico.
Abstract: This study builds on the premise that local knowledge of limestone—and its workable characteristics—was foundational to landscape inhabitation in the Puuc region of Yucatan, Mexico. Classic Maya architecture of the northern Yucatan generally is considered to represent the apogee of Maya construction prowess with extensive use of core-veneer masonry and the creation of tall, wide corbelled vaults. Less commonly discussed is the variable distribution of high-quality limestone across the Yucatan, the social matrix that undergirds the quarrying, transporting, and working of limestone, and the pronounced social differences materialized in stone architecture. This study explores these three topics by bringing to bear Yucatec Mayan linguistic evidence and excavation data from the archaeological site of Sayil, in the hilly Puuc region of Yucatan. That information provides a basis for understanding the development of a sprawling residential complex, the role that variable limestone quality played in its expansion, and serves as an index of intra-compound social difference. Late additions to the dwellings indicate that recognition of the cultural value of carved stone persisted long after masonry skills became attenuated. The durability of stone renders it a particularly effective—if underutilized—medium for interpreting social landscapes of the past.
TL;DR: In the case of the Inca Temple of the Sacred Stone at Tucume, Peru, this paper found evidence of three symbolic behaviors: cutting the throat, opening the chest cavity, and decapitation.
Abstract: Archaeological residues of ritual are often ephemeral, and reconstructing the dynamics of performed actions that create deposits can be difficult. Rituals associated with the dead are common across many cultures since all human groups have specific means of disposing of corpses. Evidence of peri- and postmortem manipulation of human remains, such as cutting, dismemberment, or disarticulation can provide details of the sequence of actions performed related to the circumstances surrounding death and the possible social meaning of those behaviors. Cut marks observed on the upper chest and throat of 93 percent of 117 children and men found interred at the Temple of the Sacred Stone at Tucume, Peru are consistent with three symbolic behaviors: cutting the throat, opening the chest cavity, and decapitation. This patterning of skeletal trauma demonstrates that a highly elaborate series of violent ritual behaviors was carried out on a regular basis at this location, beginning in the Late Intermediate Period (∼A.D. 1100) through to the end of the Late Horizon Inca occupation of the site around A.D. 1532. The recent finds of bioarchaeological evidence of ritual violence across the Andes suggests that, although rare, these mortuary remains provide important clues to the elaborate nature of ritual behaviors at different sites.
TL;DR: The authors examined how occupants of a Late Classic Maya neighborhood employed ritual and public practices as a means of social differentiation, finding that occupants shaped status and identity through the control and centralization of ritual.
Abstract: Equating a single cultural group to a classificatory scheme has implications for not only how archaeologists develop the concept of cultural identity but how we investigate and theorize about internal social dynamics within that same society. For the ancient Maya, social organization remains largely understood as a two-class system—that of commoner and elite. While these categories reflect the extreme ends of known social strata, they inadequately characterize the reality of day-to-day interactions. This has led to tacit assumptions that commoners did not participate in or comprehend the political and social complexity of the world around them. This paper examines how occupants of a Late Classic Maya neighborhood employed ritual and public practices as a means of social differentiation. Excavations at the Northeast Group, part of the ancient Maya site of Chan, Belize, identified considerable diversity between households, suggesting that occupants shaped status and identity through the control and centralization of ritual. Understanding how people distinguished themselves within the context of a neighborhood provides direct evidence of class complexity, challenging traditional models of commoner behavior and more importantly the role they played in ancient Maya society as a whole.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the content of the graffiti and the inter-subjective context of its production reveal several processes of becoming, including the act of representation giving young people a form of mastery over the themes they portray, which helps them to accommodate confusing or difficult relations in their lives and to harmonize with their world in such a way that makes them culturally intelligible subjects.
Abstract: In their 1995 Latin American Antiquity article, Haviland and Haviland argued that the people who produced much of the graffiti of Tikal were depicting visions from altered states of consciousness. In this paper, I argue that there is room for alternative interpretations. Comparison with children"s drawings from across the world suggests that children or people without training in Maya representational conventions authored a portion of the graffiti. Though this portion may be small, the possibility that children were involved provides a rare opportunity to discuss the experience of childhood. I argue that the content of the graffiti and the inter-subjective context of its production reveal several processes of becoming. Among other things, the graffiti permit an account of how children learn: legitimate participation in a community of people with varied levels of experience. This relational understanding of graffiti production also provides grounds for considering innovation and transformation in the medium of expression. Finally, I argue that the act of representation gives young people a form of mastery over the themes they portray. This helps them to accommodate confusing or difficult relations in their lives and to harmonize with their world in such a way that makes them culturally intelligible subjects.
TL;DR: This paper explored religion, death, and mortuary practices in the Southern Moche periphery as viewed through the excavation of grave contexts at the site of Huambacho, Nepena Valley, Peru.
Abstract: This article explores religion, death, and mortuary practices in the Southern Moche (A.D. 1-800) periphery as viewed through the excavation of grave contexts at the site of Huambacho, Nepena Valley, Peru. Moche influence reached Nepena as is visible in the construction of religious buildings at the site of Panamarca and the presence of Moche style ceramics at several sites. In 2003 and 2004, scientific excavations at Huambacho, an Early Horizon center mainly built and occupied during the first millennium B.C., yielded a series of intrusive graves containing Gallinazo, Viru, and Moche style objects. This contribution contextualizes these discoveries and focuses on the analysis of funerary patterns of burial, osteological evidence, and symbolic meanings with the objective of understanding local funerary practices and Moche religious and cultural expressions. Symbolic references to coast-highland interactions, inversions in body positioning, and possible human sacrifices bring insights into the complex and potentially tense sociohistorical cirmcumstances in Nepena during the Moche phase.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present studies and discussions of pottery-making practices during the Late period (ca. A.D. 900-1450) in Northwestern Argentina.
Abstract: This paper presents studies and discussions of pottery-making practices during the Late period (ca. A.D. 900—1450) in Northwestern Argentina. It stems from an extensive archaeological research project carried out in the middle sector of the Abaucan Valley, Province of Catamarca, Argentina. Pottery production during this period is evaluated through the study of technological choices and technical identity, as well as its relationship to the technical behaviors developed by potters. The analysis of a large sample of ceramic sherds, complete vessels, and overfired sherds indicates that the potters produced a very narrow repertoire of ceramic forms (bowls, urns, and ollas) using local raw materials and technology, the latter with a strong hold in the area. Pottery production during the Late period was carried out in household contexts, becoming increasingly intensified and concentrated with the appearance of Inkas in the region. Additionally, some ideas are discussed concerning the technological choices of ancient potters during this period, and the implications for technological studies in archaeological ceramics.
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that during a period ranging from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1000, the Central Chilean Andes, specifically the Maipo River Valley, was occupied by two groups of hunter-gatherers that were distinct enough for them to propose that they were actually two different social units.
Abstract: One of the most serious limitations in studies of prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies based on the archaeological record has been the difficulty of establishing distinctions among groups that inhabited a given area at the same time. This article suggests that, at least during a period ranging from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1000, the Central Chilean Andes, specifically the Maipo River Valley, was occupied by two groups of hunter-gatherers that were distinct enough for us to propose that they were actually two different social units.
TL;DR: The La Tolita-Tumaco culture is briefly discussed as a framework for the examination of the metallurgy of the area, in particular the gold-platinum alloys used to make platinum-coated gold objects, platinum-gold sintered alloys, and platinum gold foil-plated objects as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The archaeological setting of the La Tolita—Tumaco culture is briefly discussed as a framework for the examination of the metallurgy of the area, in particular the gold—platinum alloys used to make platinum-coated gold objects, platinum—gold sintered alloys, and platinum—gold foil—plated objects. The sophisticated approach to the manipulation of metallic materials resulted in several notable advances being made by the La Tolita—Tumaco culture: the production of extremely fine rectangular wire, bimetallic tumbaga alloys, small lead spheres inlaid with platinum, soldering, granulation, and a degree of sophistication to metalworking that is very impressive and, in some cases, unique in the world. Some selected examples are discussed, and the microstructure of a representative selection of the La Tolita material, bimetallic tumbaga construction, the initial sintered gold—platinum product, platinum-plated gold, and heavily worked gold—platinum composite artifacts are presented.
TL;DR: A combination of ethnographic, archaeological and mechanical data presented in this paper illustrate that ancient Mesoamericans had fully developed this process, and consciously tailored the mechanical properties of rubber to suit requirements of specific applications by altering the ratio of latex to Ipomoea alba juice.
Abstract: Ancient Mesoamericans were making rubber by at least 1600 B.C, mixing latex from Castilla elastica trees with juice from Ipomoea alba (morning glory) vines. The combination of ethnographic, archaeological and mechanical data presented in this text illustrate that ancient Mesoamericans had fully developed this process, and consciously tailored the mechanical properties of rubber to suit requirements of specific applications by altering the ratio of latex to I. alba juice. Our data focus on rubber balls, sandal soles, and rubber bands for hafting and joining. Elasticity, the mechanical property that defines the ability of a rubber ball to bounce, is maximized with a 1:1 volume ratio of latex to I. alba juice. Rubber with high wear resistance, vital to the life and functionality of a sandal sole, can be created by mixing C. elastica latex with 25 percent I. alba juice by volume. Unprocessed C. elastica latex, without I. alba juice, is the material best suited for joining applications, such as adhesives or hafting bands, where strength and ability to absorb shock is of the greatest importance. Tribute data from sixteenth-century codices substantiate that rubber was processed for specific applications within the Aztec empire—rubber and latex goods were processed and constructed in the C. elastica-bearing regions, and then shipped to the capital for use or further distribution.
TL;DR: A review of the published maps of La Venta, a Formative period Mesoamerican regional center, demonstrates how these technical drawings have sometimes superseded the textual excavation data in generating and disseminating archaeological knowledge as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Scientific drawings, including maps, are increasingly recognized as theory-laden media for conveying information. The degree to which this quality impacts archaeological interpretations is revealed in the history of the published maps of La Venta, a Formative period Mesoamerican regional center. La Venta is pivotal to understanding the Olmec culture of Mexico’s Gulf Coast, yet archaeological knowledge is based primarily on one small portion of the site, Complex A, excavated in 1955. Since destroyed, Complex A is now known especially through visual representations. A review of the Complex A maps in the original field report and subsequent publications demonstrates how these technical drawings have sometimes superseded the textual excavation data in generating and disseminating archaeological knowledge. Over time the maps have become more schematic and misleading, impeding understandings of La Venta and its role in regional cultural manifestations. Reliance on totalizing plan maps has led most archaeologists to overlook the 1955 excavators’ major interpretations of the construction history of Complex A. However, the 1955 conclusions regarding the longevity of the formal design rules of the complex, reiterated by later archaeologists precisely because they are clearly visible in plan maps, are less well supported by the stratigraphic evidence.
TL;DR: In this paper, an analisis arqueofaunistico del sitio arqueologico Agua de la Cueva (sector sur), in el lapso temporal comprendido entre ca. 11,000 and 5000 a.P.
Abstract: Se presentan los resultados del analisis arqueofaunistico del sitio arqueologico Agua de la Cueva (sector sur), en el lapso temporal comprendido entre ca. 11,000 y 5000 a.P. Los materiales analizados indican una escasa diversidad de taxa, con un fuerte predominio de Lama guanicoe en todos los componentes. Las diferencias principales entre las ocupaciones pertenecientes al Pleistoceno Final-Holoceno Temprano en relacion a las del Holoceno Medio se vinculan principalmente a la disminucion significativa en la tasa de especimenes oseos a lo largo del tiempo y la ausencia de Vicugna vicugna a partir de ca. 9000 anos a.P. En relacion a esto ultimo, los analisis osteometricos y morfologicos descartan la posibilidad de que los especimenes pertenecientes a esta especie correspondan a la denominada subespecie extinta Lama (Vicugna) gracilis. Por el contrario, los mismos parecen corresponder a la actual Vicugna vicugna, cuya dispersion tiene su limite sur unos 600 km al norte del sitio estudiado. Por ultimo, los datos aqui presentados permiten discutir aspectos de la subsistencia humana en el centro-oeste del continente sudamericano durante las primeras etapas de ocupacion de la region y como los hombres reaccionaron a los principales cambios ambientales ocurridos durante la primera mitad del Holoceno.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose that the power and leadership role of these leaders was tangibly manifested by a unique, widely used architectural element and by a related symbol within polity iconography.
Abstract: Some 3,500 years ago, the Sechin Alto Polity built large, precisely planned cities, one of which contained the largest structures in the New World at that time. Such accomplishments reflect strong, enduring leadership, and we propose that the power and leadership role of these leaders was tangibly manifested by a unique, widely used architectural element and by a related symbol within polity iconography. The distinctive architectural form is a free-standing module that is omnipresent in power loci: temple, palace, storehouse, mid-level administrative buildings, roadside structures, and a satellite site. We also interpret recurring symbols within Sechin Alto Polity iconography as more abstract representations of this architectural form in its capacity as a power symbol. The essence of this "architecture of power" transcended time as the modular form was imitated by a subsequent polity.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a project to build a publicly accessible archaeological database of the island of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) using the Google Earth mapping service, which provides high resolution color images of the earth's surface, photographs, and data generated from recent surveys.
Abstract: The archaeological record of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) has long captivated the public and archaeologists alike. The mon umental statues fmoaij are the most famous of the archaeological features of the island. Other aspects of the record, how ever, include platforms fahu), statue (moaij, transport roads, and a wide range of architectural features. Although large portions of the island have been surveyed as part of government-funded projects to document the archaeological record, there is yet no single publicly available and published source providing data on the composition and distribution of moai, ahu, or the many other architectural/artifact classes of the island. Here, we describe a project to build a publicly accessi ble archaeological database. Using the freely available Google Earth"" mapping service, which provides high-resolution color images of the earth's surface, photographs, and data generated from recent surveys, we show how researchers can contribute to this database making the archaeological record freely available to everyone with an interest in the archaeol ogy of Easter Island.
TL;DR: Using Ciudadela Rivero at the site of Chan Chan, Peru, as a case study, this research employed construction industry-standard planning, estimating, and scheduling tools to calculate the labor requirements and construction times under various building scenarios.
Abstract: The labor investment in ancient monumental architecture is an important factor in hypotheses concerning a society’s size, organization, and social complexity. Most methods of quantifying labor expenditures are limited to simply designed structures with a minimal number of elements. Due to the lack of practical analytical methods, complex architecture is often described subjectively, offering little quantitative value, resulting in inferences that could be misleading or wrong. Using Ciudadela Rivero at the site of Chan Chan, Peru, as a case study, this research employed construction industry-standard planning, estimating, and scheduling tools to calculate the labor requirements and construction times under various building scenarios. Additionally, the application of Critical Path Method scheduling provides the means to model and compare numerous building scenarios by simulating the effects of various construction and labor organization strategies in their cultural context. The results for Ciudadela Rivero revealed a labor input of over two million labor hours, which could be accomplished by a modest labor force of as few as 250 workers over a six-year period. These data affect numerous archaeological hypotheses concerning scale of construction, organization of labor, and complexity of social organization.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present evidence for status differentiation in the Lesser Antilles on the small island of Anguilla within a deposit at the Sandy Hill site and evaluates associated archaeofauna for evidence of rank-based differences in food consumption.
Abstract: The investigation of social inequality in the Caribbean mainly has focused on the larger islands of the Greater Antilles where ethnohistoric records and monumental architecture form the basis for analysis of precolumbian complex societies. This paper presents evidence for status differentiation in the Lesser Antilles on the small island of Anguilla within a deposit at the Sandy Hill site and evaluates associated archaeofauna for evidence of rank-based differences in food consumption. When compared with three other sites, the higher density of status-related artifacts and higher densities of food remains at the Sandy Hill site are interpreted as the result of feasting. No evidence for inequality is observed in patterns of food consumption.
TL;DR: In this paper, two contemporaneous caches were found at La Milpa, Belize, with incised jar lids decorated with a mat design, and the caches are ritually engineered deposits that integrate otherwise discrete architectural components into a coherent Late/Terminal Classic royal precinct plan.
Abstract: Proponents of site-planning studies argue that the Ancient Maya expressed both political and cosmological symbolism in architecture and site plans, while detractors fault site-planning advocates for not being scientifically rigorous in their methods. Recently, the debate between the two sides has focused on whether or not the Maya created cosmograms in the layouts of their sites. Our recent investigations at La Milpa, Belize attempt to redirect site-planning studies back to a more encompassing approach that searches for meaning at various scales. In doing so, we propose that planning and engineering be considered together and that engineering can include ritual or symbolic components. This paper focuses on two contemporaneous caches, each of which contains incised jar lids decorated with a mat design. We argue the caches are ritually engineered deposits that integrate otherwise discrete architectural components into a coherent Late/Terminal Classic royal precinct plan. Furthermore, the mat design on the jar lids suggests royal sponsorship of the engineering and construction of the plaza. While much of the symbolism in the caches is unclear, we are able to recognize that political and/or cosmological symbolic communication has occurred as part of a ritually engineered component of Plaza B at La Milpa.
TL;DR: The Carboncillo area in the southern highlands of Ecuador is identified as the only confirmed source of archaeological obsidian located in the country outside of the northern highlands and is the first identified in the large gap between the known Ecuadorian and Peruvian sources as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The Carboncillo area in the southern highlands of Ecuador is identified as the only confirmed source of archaeological obsidian located in the country outside of the northern highlands and is the first identified in the large gap between the known Ecuadorian and Peruvian sources. With the identification of this source, it can no longer be assumed that all obsidian found in Ecuador came from sources in the northern highlands. Thus the Carboncillo source has significant implications for interpreting patterns of long-distance exchange in the Andes, especially in southern Ecuador and the far north of Peru. A geochemical analysis of the Carboncillo material shows that it can be easily distinguished from the obsidian from other Ecuadorian sources. A provenance study of archaeological obsidian samples from the southern highlands of Ecuador using x-ray fluorescence demonstrates that the Carboncillo obsidian was used at the Preceramic site of Chobshi Cave and at a number of late prehispanic sites in the Saraguro region. The results indicate a high level of sociopolitical and economic isolation in late prehistory, most likely tied to a preoccupation with warfare between neighboring groups, and provide additional evidence that the economic organization of the southern highlands differed markedly from that of the north during this time.