- 314 Carpenter Building
Department of Anthropology
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802 - +1-814-880-3327
José Capriles
The Pennsylvania State University, Anthropology, Faculty Member
- Universidad de Tarapacá, Anthropology, Faculty Memberadd
- Anthropology, Archaeology, Social Sciences, Archaeological Method & Theory, Archaeological GIS, Zooarchaeology, and 35 moreArchaeological Science, Archaeometry, Public Archaeology, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Digital Archaeology, Taphonomy, Settlement Patterns, Osteoarchaeology, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Archaeology of ethnicity, Heritage Management, Applied Archaeology, Andean Prehistory (Archaeology), South America (Archaeology), Archaeology of States, Political Economy, Nationalism, Ecology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Human Behavioral Ecology, Roberto Arlt, Chachapuma, Ofer Bar Yosef, Stable Isotope Analysis, Tiwanaku, Historical Ecology, Andean Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Arqueología, Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene, Human Ecology, Bolivia, Landscape Archaeology, and Hunter-Gatherer Archaeologyedit
En este capítulo se explora la aplicación del programa Maxent como una herramienta para predecir la distribución potencial de poblaciones humanas pasadas y el rol de la variabilidad ambiental. Se utilizó como caso de estudio la entidad... more
En este capítulo se explora la aplicación del programa Maxent como una herramienta para predecir la distribución potencial de poblaciones humanas pasadas y el rol de la variabilidad ambiental. Se utilizó como caso de estudio la entidad arqueológica Goya-Malabrigo, con dos objetivos principales: a) precisar objetivamente los parámetros ambientales asociados a la distribución geográfica (el climatic envelope niche, Post 2013) de esta entidad arqueológica y b) identificar el área más apta para la distribución de esta entidad sobre la base de dichos parámetros ambientales. Complementariamente modelamos la distribución de los sitios con materiales guaraníes de parte del NEA y el norte de la región pampeana con el objetivo de compararla con el área apta de ocupación de Goya-Malabrigo. Un antecedente relevante para el caso guaraní es el estudio efectuado por Brochado (1973), quien analizó la distribución de los sitios en relación con las características ambientales actuales, tales como clima (tipo de clima, temperaturas medias anuales, medias mínimas, precipitaciones), topografía (altitud) y vegetación.
Research Interests:
The European conquest of the New World produced major socio-environmental reorganization in the Americas, but for many specific regions and ecosystems, we still do not understand how these changes occurred within a broader temporal... more
The European conquest of the New World produced major socio-environmental reorganization in the Americas, but for many specific regions and ecosystems, we still do not understand how these changes occurred within a broader temporal framework. In this paper, we reconstruct the long-term environmental and vegetation changes experienced by high-altitude wetlands of the southcentral Andes over the last two millennia. Pollen and charcoal analyses of a 5.5-m-long core recovered from the semi-arid puna of northern Chile indicate that while climatic drivers influenced vegetation turnaround, human land use and management strategies significantly affected long-term changes. Our results indicate that the puna vegetation mostly dominated by grasslands and some peatland taxa stabilized during the late Holocene, xerophytic shrubs expanded during extremely dry events, and peatland vegetation persisted in relation to landscape-scale management strategies by Andean pastoralist societies. Environmental changes produced during the post-conquest period included the introduction of exotic taxa, such as clovers, associated with the translocation of exotic herding animals (sheep, cattle, and donkeys) and a deterioration in the management of highland wetlands.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The high Andes of western South America feature extreme ecological conditions that impose important physiological constraints on humans including high-elevation hypoxia and cold stress. This leads to questions regarding how these... more
The high Andes of western South America feature extreme ecological conditions that impose important physiological constraints on humans including high-elevation hypoxia and cold stress. This leads to questions regarding how these environments were colonized by the first waves of
humans that reached them during the late Pleistocene. Based on previous research, and aided by human behavioral ecology principles, we assess hunter-gatherer behavioral strategies in the Andean highlands during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Specifically, we formulate three mobility strategies and their archaeological expectations and test these using technological and subsistence evidence from the six earliest well-dated highland sites in northern Chile. Our results
suggest that all of the studied sites were temporarily occupied for hunting, processing animals, and toolkit maintenance. The sites also exhibit shared technological features within a curatorial strategy
albeit with different occupation intensities. From this evidence, we infer that the initial occupations of the highlands were logistical and probably facilitated by increased local resource availability during a period of environmental amelioration.
humans that reached them during the late Pleistocene. Based on previous research, and aided by human behavioral ecology principles, we assess hunter-gatherer behavioral strategies in the Andean highlands during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Specifically, we formulate three mobility strategies and their archaeological expectations and test these using technological and subsistence evidence from the six earliest well-dated highland sites in northern Chile. Our results
suggest that all of the studied sites were temporarily occupied for hunting, processing animals, and toolkit maintenance. The sites also exhibit shared technological features within a curatorial strategy
albeit with different occupation intensities. From this evidence, we infer that the initial occupations of the highlands were logistical and probably facilitated by increased local resource availability during a period of environmental amelioration.
Research Interests:
SIGHTINGS OF THE RUFOUS-THROATED DIPPER (CINCLUS SCHULZI) IN CORDILLERA DE SAMA, BOLIVIA.— We present sighting data of the Rufous-throated Dipper (Cinclus schulzi) in Cordillera de Sama, Tarija Department, Bolivia. We visited 17 rivers... more
SIGHTINGS OF THE RUFOUS-THROATED DIPPER (CINCLUS SCHULZI) IN CORDILLERA DE SAMA, BOLIVIA.—
We present sighting data of the Rufous-throated Dipper (Cinclus schulzi) in Cordillera de Sama, Tarija Department, Bolivia. We visited 17 rivers and streams, but we attained only 12 sightings in 4 water courses, corresponding to a minimum of 10 individuals: 4 pairs, a solitary individual and a fledging. Dippers were recorded in clear water courses, but were absent in sites contaminated with livestock waste. We confirm the presence of Cinclus schulzi in the Cordillera de Sama Biological Reserve and its nesting in the area. Furthermore, we present data about
foraging behaviour and interactions with other species.
Se presentan datos de avistamientos del Mirlo de Agua de Barba Roja (Cinclus schulzi) en la Cordillera de Sama, departamento de Tarija, Bolivia. Se recorrieron 17 quebradas, arroyos y ríos, pero solamente se realizaron 12 avistamientos en 4 cursos de agua, correspondientes a un mínimo de 10 individuos: 4 parejas, un individuo solitario y un volantón. Los mirlos fueron registrados en cursos de aguas claras, pero estaban ausentes en las porciones de los ríos contaminados con residuos de ganado. Se confirma la presencia de Cinclus schulzi en la Reserva Biológica Cordillera de Sama y su nidificación en el área. Además, se presentan datos sobre el comportamiento de alimentación y la interacción con otras especies.
We present sighting data of the Rufous-throated Dipper (Cinclus schulzi) in Cordillera de Sama, Tarija Department, Bolivia. We visited 17 rivers and streams, but we attained only 12 sightings in 4 water courses, corresponding to a minimum of 10 individuals: 4 pairs, a solitary individual and a fledging. Dippers were recorded in clear water courses, but were absent in sites contaminated with livestock waste. We confirm the presence of Cinclus schulzi in the Cordillera de Sama Biological Reserve and its nesting in the area. Furthermore, we present data about
foraging behaviour and interactions with other species.
Se presentan datos de avistamientos del Mirlo de Agua de Barba Roja (Cinclus schulzi) en la Cordillera de Sama, departamento de Tarija, Bolivia. Se recorrieron 17 quebradas, arroyos y ríos, pero solamente se realizaron 12 avistamientos en 4 cursos de agua, correspondientes a un mínimo de 10 individuos: 4 parejas, un individuo solitario y un volantón. Los mirlos fueron registrados en cursos de aguas claras, pero estaban ausentes en las porciones de los ríos contaminados con residuos de ganado. Se confirma la presencia de Cinclus schulzi en la Reserva Biológica Cordillera de Sama y su nidificación en el área. Además, se presentan datos sobre el comportamiento de alimentación y la interacción con otras especies.
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Durante el Horizonte Medio (500-1100 d.C.), los Andes sur centrales fueron el escenario de la formación, desarrollo y colapso del Estado de Tiwanaku. A pesar de que existe un considerable debate acerca del alcance político y el control... more
Durante el Horizonte Medio (500-1100 d.C.), los Andes sur centrales fueron el escenario de la formación, desarrollo y colapso del Estado de Tiwanaku. A pesar de que existe un considerable debate acerca del alcance político y el control efectivo que mantuvo Tiwanaku de su periferia, la ideología religiosa y el intercambio interregional, al parecer, fueron, dos aspectos muy importantes en la dinámica hegemónica del Estado. Por un lado, la interpretación del sistema religioso de Tiwanaku ha sido, tradicionalmente, enfocada a través de la arquitectura monumental, los patrones funerarios y la iconografía en diferentes objetos finamente elaborados. Por otro lado, la interpretación del intercambio económico ha sido abordada a partir de la presencia de restos arqueológicos provenientes de lugares distantes en el núcleo ceremonial, así como por la presencia de materiales Tiwanaku en asentamientos lejanos al área nuclear. A partir de la descripción contextual de un hallazgo arqueológico realizado en el altiplano de Lípez, elaboramos algunas hipótesis en relación a los cambios producidos en el sistema ritual y de interacción social a finales del Horizonte Medio. Concluimos que la hegemonía de Tiwanaku, efectivamente, promovió un sistema ritual y de interacción social que facilitó la transmisión de sus pilares ideológicos, los cuales, sin embargo, cambiaron radicalmente al producirse la desestructuración política del Estado, durante el siglo XI.
During the Middle Horizon (500-1100 AD) the south central Andes were the scenario of the formation, development, and collapse of the Tiwanaku state. Although there is considerable debate about the political implications and the effective control of its periphery, religious ideology and interregional exchange were apparently, two very important aspects of the hegemonic dynamics of Tiwanaku. On the one hand, the nature of Tiwanaku religious system has been primarily focused through monumental architecture, funerary patterns and iconography in different finely crafted objects. On the other hand, the interpretation of economic exchange have been addressed from the presence of archaeological remains from distant places in the ceremonial core as well as by the presence of Tiwanaku materials in the nuclear area from distant settlements. In this paper, based on the contextual description of an archaeological discovery made in the highlands of Lípez, we discuss some hypotheses regarding changes in the ritual system and social interaction near the end of the Middle Horizon. We conclude that the Tiwanaku hegemony effectively promoted a ritual and social interaction that facilitated the transmission of their ideological foundation, which, however, changed radically as the political disintegration of the state occurred during the eleventh century.
During the Middle Horizon (500-1100 AD) the south central Andes were the scenario of the formation, development, and collapse of the Tiwanaku state. Although there is considerable debate about the political implications and the effective control of its periphery, religious ideology and interregional exchange were apparently, two very important aspects of the hegemonic dynamics of Tiwanaku. On the one hand, the nature of Tiwanaku religious system has been primarily focused through monumental architecture, funerary patterns and iconography in different finely crafted objects. On the other hand, the interpretation of economic exchange have been addressed from the presence of archaeological remains from distant places in the ceremonial core as well as by the presence of Tiwanaku materials in the nuclear area from distant settlements. In this paper, based on the contextual description of an archaeological discovery made in the highlands of Lípez, we discuss some hypotheses regarding changes in the ritual system and social interaction near the end of the Middle Horizon. We conclude that the Tiwanaku hegemony effectively promoted a ritual and social interaction that facilitated the transmission of their ideological foundation, which, however, changed radically as the political disintegration of the state occurred during the eleventh century.
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The Northern Titicaca Basin Survey: Huancané-Putina. CHARLES STANISH, CECILIA CHÁVEZ JUSTO, KARL LAFAVRE, and AIMÉE PLOURDE. 2014. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology Number 56, Studies in Latin American Ethnohistory & Archaeology... more
The Northern Titicaca Basin Survey: Huancané-Putina.
CHARLES STANISH, CECILIA CHÁVEZ JUSTO,
KARL LAFAVRE, and AIMÉE PLOURDE. 2014.
Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology Number 56,
Studies in Latin American Ethnohistory & Archaeology
Volume IX. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. xvi +
407 pp. $38.00 (paper), ISBN 978-0-915703-84-5.
CHARLES STANISH, CECILIA CHÁVEZ JUSTO,
KARL LAFAVRE, and AIMÉE PLOURDE. 2014.
Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology Number 56,
Studies in Latin American Ethnohistory & Archaeology
Volume IX. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. xvi +
407 pp. $38.00 (paper), ISBN 978-0-915703-84-5.
Research Interests:
The high Andes of South America were among the last environments that Homo sapiens colonized during its Pleis-tocene dispersion out of Africa. The peopling of this high-elevation environment was constrained by atmospheric hypoxia, cold... more
The high Andes of South America were among the last environments that Homo sapiens colonized during its Pleis-tocene dispersion out of Africa. The peopling of this high-elevation environment was constrained by atmospheric hypoxia, cold stress, and resource availability. Here we report archaeological and geoarchaeological analyses from Cueva Bautista, a dry rock shelter, located at 3933 m above sea level in southwestern Bolivia. We focus on a well-preserved occupation surface containing hearths and high-quality stone tools AMS dated to 12,700– 12,100 cal BP. Geoarchaeological resolution of the site supports its stratigraphic integrity and archaeological analyses indicate that the early human occupation was formed as a temporary camp by mobile foragers relying on a curated technological strategy. Regional paleoenvironmental reconstructions suggest that Cueva Bautista's occupation was synchronous with humid conditions and its abandonment with increased aridity. Our findings suggest that mobile hunter-gatherers explored – albeit not colonized – the high Andes during the late Pleistocene and provides further support that a combination of biological, behavioral, and environmental constraints affected human adaptation to this extreme environment.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Ritual practices and their associated material paraphernalia played a key role in extending the reach and ideological impact of early states. The discovery of a leather bag containing snuffing tablets and traces of psychoactive substances... more
Ritual practices and their associated material paraphernalia played a key role in extending the reach and ideological impact of early states. The discovery of a leather bag containing snuffing tablets and traces of psychoactive substances at Cueva del Chileno in the southern Andes testifies to the adoption of Tiwanaku practices by emergent local elites. Tiwanaku control spread over the whole of the south-central Andes during the Middle Horizon (AD 500 -1100) but by the end of the period it had begun to fragment into a series of smaller polities. The bag had been buried by an emergent local elite who chose at
this time to relinquish the former Tiwanaku ritual practices that its contents represent.
this time to relinquish the former Tiwanaku ritual practices that its contents represent.
Research Interests:
The high Andes of South America were among the last environments that Homo sapiens colonized during its Pleis-tocene dispersion out of Africa. The peopling of this high-elevation environment was constrained by atmospheric hypoxia, cold... more
The high Andes of South America were among the last environments that Homo sapiens colonized during its Pleis-tocene dispersion out of Africa. The peopling of this high-elevation environment was constrained by atmospheric hypoxia, cold stress, and resource availability. Here we report archaeological and geoarchaeological analyses from Cueva Bautista, a dry rock shelter, located at 3933 m above sea level in southwestern Bolivia. We focus on a well-preserved occupation surface containing hearths and high-quality stone tools AMS dated to 12,700– 12,100 cal BP. Geoarchaeological resolution of the site supports its stratigraphic integrity and archaeological analyses indicate that the early human occupation was formed as a temporary camp by mobile foragers relying on a curated technological strategy. Regional paleoenvironmental reconstructions suggest that Cueva Bautista's occupation was synchronous with humid conditions and its abandonment with increased aridity. Our findings suggest that mobile hunter-gatherers explored – albeit not colonized – the high Andes during the late Pleistocene and provides further support that a combination of biological, behavioral, and environmental constraints affected human adaptation to this extreme environment.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Stones of Tiahuanaco: A Study of Architecture and Construction. JEAN-PIERRE PROTZEN and STELLA NAIR. 2013. Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press, Los Angeles. xxv + 233 pp. $51.30 (paper), ISBN 978-1-931745-67-3.
Research Interests:
The relations between humans and animals extend into socio-cultural aspects that go beyond the mere acquisition of food, meaning that animals constitute cultural resources that fulfill diverse roles in social and cultural systems. Visual... more
The relations between humans and animals extend into socio-cultural aspects that go beyond the mere acquisition of food, meaning that animals constitute cultural resources that fulfill diverse roles in social and cultural systems. Visual images in different media, including rock art, represent one of the ways in which these complex relationships take place. While in the New World few comparative analyses of archaeofaunal and visual data have been addressed, in the Old World these studies have been framed by a dichotomist view between drawn (thought) and consumed (eaten) understanding, both terms as separate and disconnected social realms. This view also structures an abstract, non-pragmatic, rather passive, world drawn in art, against a concrete, practical, active world of consumption. The analysis we present here, based on principles of substantive economy theory, explores the relation between humans and animals in the prehistory of the Atacama Desert (ca. 13,000–410 BP), by comparing visual images of fauna depicted in rock art (engravings and paintings) with archaeofaunal remains from domestic and funerary contexts. The dataset (comprised of 1534 archaeofaunal items and 729 rock art animal motifs from 117 sites) was standardized by calculating the percentage of ubiquity of each animal item per period of time, using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients to identify synchronic and diachronic changes in the relative importance of certain animals consumed. We observed important temporal and contextual variations in the consumption of animals drawn in rock art in the Atacama Desert, and we conclude that they reflect a selection of a wide range of ritual and utilitarian, but not mutually exclusive, functions. In particular, images of camelids emphasized the importance of providing fiber for the creation of textile artifacts and camelid use as pack animals in the caravan trade, both activities that were fundamental in the economy of local societies.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Typology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, Lithic Technology, and 7 moreAndes, Lithics, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Archaeology, Lithic analysis and organization of technology, Hunter-Gatherers, and South Central Andes
The Lake Titicaca Basin is one of the regions in the world where bothprimary village and state formationoccurred in prehistory. Although agriculture has been discussed as the central engine fueling these pro-cesses, fishandother aquatic... more
The Lake Titicaca Basin is one of the regions in the world where bothprimary village and state formationoccurred in prehistory. Although agriculture has been discussed as the central engine fueling these pro-cesses, fishandother aquatic resources weresignificant but little-understood components of theregion’sancient economy. In this paper, we use zooarchaeological analysis of faunal remains from 367 flotationsamples recovered fromfive archaeological sites to discuss the interplay between fishing, environmentalchange, and the emergence of sociopolitical complexity in the Taraco Peninsula of Lake Titicaca. Ourresults suggest that fishing comprised a significant component of the local inhabitants’ diet between1500 BC and 1100 AD. The intensity of fish procurement, however, varied through time and indepen-dently of both climatic and population change. We interpret variation in fish consumption through timeas a product of group and individual decisions to optimize resource use in a context of dynamic environ-mental and sociopolitical variability.
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For the last 150 y scholars have focused upon the roles of intentional breeding and genetic isolation as fundamental to understanding the process of animal domestication. This analysis of ethnoarchaeological, archaeological, and genetic... more
For the last 150 y scholars have focused upon the roles of intentional breeding and genetic isolation as fundamental to understanding the process of animal domestication. This analysis of ethnoarchaeological, archaeological, and genetic data suggests that long-term gene flow between wild and domestic stocks was much more common than previously assumed, and that selective breeding of females was largely absent during the early phases of animal domestication. These findings challenge assumptions about severe genetic bottlenecks during domestication, expectations regarding monophyletic origins, and interpretations of multiple domestications. The findings also raise new questions regarding ways in which behavioral and phenotypic domestication traits were developed and maintained.
Research Interests:
Ritual practices and their associated material paraphernalia played a key role in extending the reach and ideological impact of early states. The discovery of a leather bag containing snuffing tablets and traces of psychoactive substances... more
Ritual practices and their associated material paraphernalia played a key role in extending the reach and ideological impact of early states. The discovery of a leather bag containing snuffing tablets and traces of psychoactive substances at Cueva del Chileno in the southern Andes testifies to the adoption of Tiwanaku practices by emergent local elites. Tiwanaku control spread over the whole of the south-central Andes during the Middle Horizon (AD 500–1100) but by the end of the period it had begun to fragment into a series of smaller polities. The bag had been buried by an emergent local elite who chose at this time to relinquish the former Tiwanaku ritual practices that its contents represent.
Research Interests:
The domestication of llamas and alpacas was fundamental for the cultural and economic development of Andean societies, but the origins of camelid pastoralism as a distinct mode of socioeconomic organization remain little understood.... more
The domestication of llamas and alpacas was fundamental for the cultural and economic development of Andean societies, but the origins of camelid pastoralism as a distinct mode of socioeconomic organization remain little understood. Whereas most archaeological interpretations of prehispanic highland societies emphasize the transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture as a process marked by the establishment of agricultural sedentary villages, other subsistence and mobility strategies have been for the most part overlooked. A case in point is the Wankarani cultural complex from the Central Altiplano of Bolivia, which has been interpreted as an example of an early village-based sedentary society. Here, I argue that a model of mobile pastoralism based on ethnoarchaeological research better explains the Central Altiplano's Formative period archaeological record. Recently collected data support this proposition. Settlement patterns consisted of multiple dispersed camps attached to residential bases occupied recurrently. Horizontal excavations from a residential base revealed structures and features analogous to pastoralist landscapes documented around the world. Faunal identification confirmed the preponderance of domesticated camelids. Based on this evidence, I argue that we need better explanatory frameworks for approaching the origins, organization, and variability associated with early food producing societies such as mobile camelid pastoralists.
La domesticación de llamas y alpacas fue fundamental para el desarrollo cultural y económico de las sociedades andinas. Sin embargo, el origen del pastoreo de camélidos como un distintivo modo de organización socioeconómica permanece poco entendido. Considerando que la mayoría de las interpretaciones arqueológicas acerca de las sociedades prehispánicas del altiplano hacen hincapié en que la transición de la caza y recolección hacia la agricultura fue un proceso marcado por el establecimiento de aldeas agrícolas sedentarias, la importancia de otras estrategias de subsistencia y movilidad ha sido, en su mayor parte, desestimada. Como ejemplo está el complejo cultural Wankarani del Período Formativo del altiplano central de Bolivia, que ha sido previamente caracterizado como un ejemplo de sociedad temprana basada en aldeas. En contraste, aquí se propone que un modelo de pastoreo móvil basado en investigación etnoarqueológica y etnográfica explica mejor el registro arqueológico del Período Formativo en altiplano central. Datos recientemente recolectados de prospección, excavación y análisis de fauna apoyan esta proposición. Los patrones de asentamiento consistieron de múltiples campamentos dispersos conectados a bases residenciales ocupadas recurrentemente. Excavaciones horizontales de una base residencial revelaron la existencia de superposiciones de rasgos y estructuras análogas a otras halladas en paisajes pastoriles documentados alrededor del mundo. La identificación de fauna confirmó la preponderancia de camélidos domesticados como la base dietética, pero también el consumo generalizado de recursos silvestres, probablemente procurados durante paseos de pastoreo. En base a esta evidencia, se argumenta que se necesitan mejores marcos explicativos así como adecuadas estrategias metodológicas para abordar los orígenes, la organización y la variabilidad asociada con las sociedades tempranas productoras de alimentos a escala de subsistencia tales como los pastores móviles de camélidos en los Andes.
La domesticación de llamas y alpacas fue fundamental para el desarrollo cultural y económico de las sociedades andinas. Sin embargo, el origen del pastoreo de camélidos como un distintivo modo de organización socioeconómica permanece poco entendido. Considerando que la mayoría de las interpretaciones arqueológicas acerca de las sociedades prehispánicas del altiplano hacen hincapié en que la transición de la caza y recolección hacia la agricultura fue un proceso marcado por el establecimiento de aldeas agrícolas sedentarias, la importancia de otras estrategias de subsistencia y movilidad ha sido, en su mayor parte, desestimada. Como ejemplo está el complejo cultural Wankarani del Período Formativo del altiplano central de Bolivia, que ha sido previamente caracterizado como un ejemplo de sociedad temprana basada en aldeas. En contraste, aquí se propone que un modelo de pastoreo móvil basado en investigación etnoarqueológica y etnográfica explica mejor el registro arqueológico del Período Formativo en altiplano central. Datos recientemente recolectados de prospección, excavación y análisis de fauna apoyan esta proposición. Los patrones de asentamiento consistieron de múltiples campamentos dispersos conectados a bases residenciales ocupadas recurrentemente. Excavaciones horizontales de una base residencial revelaron la existencia de superposiciones de rasgos y estructuras análogas a otras halladas en paisajes pastoriles documentados alrededor del mundo. La identificación de fauna confirmó la preponderancia de camélidos domesticados como la base dietética, pero también el consumo generalizado de recursos silvestres, probablemente procurados durante paseos de pastoreo. En base a esta evidencia, se argumenta que se necesitan mejores marcos explicativos así como adecuadas estrategias metodológicas para abordar los orígenes, la organización y la variabilidad asociada con las sociedades tempranas productoras de alimentos a escala de subsistencia tales como los pastores móviles de camélidos en los Andes.
Research Interests:
In the Andean highlands, Polylepis woodlands are a rare and unique ecosystem of the treeline. Although human activities have caused the loss of extensive forested areas and decreased woodland regeneration, few systematic and quantitative... more
In the Andean highlands, Polylepis woodlands are a rare and unique ecosystem of the treeline. Although human activities have caused the loss of extensive forested areas and decreased woodland regeneration, few systematic and quantitative assessments have been carried out in Polylepis forests. This study compares differences in habitat characteristics, population structure, and reproductive output in populations of Polylepis tomentella subject to different levels of human disturbance in the south-central Andes of Bolivia. We selected P. tomentella because the species still covers large extensions in the form of fragmented forest patches. Results show that human activities affected all the studied populations. Moderately disturbed populations exhibited a lower percentage of farmed area (0.6%) and browsed plants (4%) than strongly disturbed populations (5% and 12%, respectively). All populations exhibited similar proportion of plants with logging scars. Potassium content and canopy closure were 1.5 and 2.5 higher, respectively, in strongly disturbed populations. The density of saplings and seedlings were 75 percent and 80 percent lower in strongly disturbed populations than in moderately disturbed population, even though reproductive individuals produced twice more flowers and fruits. Our results suggest that fruit production does not limit regeneration of P. tomentella and post-dispersal mechanisms may decrease seed germination and increase seedling mortality. Overall, strongly disturbed populations will be less likely to regenerate, leading to population decline. Conservation programs should facilitate forest recovery by promoting seedling establishment, reducing overharvesting and over-browsing, and protecting remaining adult plants.
Resumen
En los Andes, los bosques de Polylepis son ecosistemas raros y únicos del límite superior del bosque. A pesar de que las actividades humanas han producido la pérdida de extensas áreas boscosas y reducido la regeneración del bosque, hasta la fecha se han llevado a cabo pocos estudios sistemáticos y cuantitativos en bosques de Polylepis. Este estudio compara diferencias en las características del hábitat, estructura poblacional y rendimiento reproductivo de poblaciones de P. tomentella con diferente intensidad de perturbación en los Andes sur-centrales de Bolivia. Seleccionamos a Polylepis tomentella porque es una especie que todavía cubre grandes extensiones en forma de fragmentos boscosos. Los resultados muestran que las actividades humanas afectaron a todas las poblaciones estudiadas. Las poblaciones moderadamente disturbadas mostraron un menor porcentaje de áreas cultivadas (0.6%) y de plantas ramoneadas (4%) en comparación a las poblaciones fuertemente disturbadas (5% y 12%, respectivamente). Todas las poblaciones presentaron proporciones similares de plantas con cicatrices de tala. La concentración de potasio y la cobertura de dosel fueron 1.5 y 2.5 veces mayores, respectivamente, en las poblaciones intensamente disturbadas. La densidad de brinzales y plántulas fue 75% y 80% inferior en las poblaciones fuertemente disturbadas que en poblaciones moderadamente disturbadas, pese a que los individuos reproductivos produjeron dos veces más flores y frutos. La producción de frutos no limita la regeneración de P. tomentella y mecanismos post-dispersión pueden reducir la germinación de semillas e incrementar la mortalidad de las plántulas. En general, las poblaciones fuertemente disturbadas poseen menos probabilidades de regeneración, lo cual puede llevar a la declinación poblacional. Los programas de conservación deben dirigirse a facilitar la recuperación de los bosques, a través de la promoción del establecimiento de plántulas, reducción de sobre-extracción y sobrepastoreo y protección de los individuos adultos remanentes.
Resumen
En los Andes, los bosques de Polylepis son ecosistemas raros y únicos del límite superior del bosque. A pesar de que las actividades humanas han producido la pérdida de extensas áreas boscosas y reducido la regeneración del bosque, hasta la fecha se han llevado a cabo pocos estudios sistemáticos y cuantitativos en bosques de Polylepis. Este estudio compara diferencias en las características del hábitat, estructura poblacional y rendimiento reproductivo de poblaciones de P. tomentella con diferente intensidad de perturbación en los Andes sur-centrales de Bolivia. Seleccionamos a Polylepis tomentella porque es una especie que todavía cubre grandes extensiones en forma de fragmentos boscosos. Los resultados muestran que las actividades humanas afectaron a todas las poblaciones estudiadas. Las poblaciones moderadamente disturbadas mostraron un menor porcentaje de áreas cultivadas (0.6%) y de plantas ramoneadas (4%) en comparación a las poblaciones fuertemente disturbadas (5% y 12%, respectivamente). Todas las poblaciones presentaron proporciones similares de plantas con cicatrices de tala. La concentración de potasio y la cobertura de dosel fueron 1.5 y 2.5 veces mayores, respectivamente, en las poblaciones intensamente disturbadas. La densidad de brinzales y plántulas fue 75% y 80% inferior en las poblaciones fuertemente disturbadas que en poblaciones moderadamente disturbadas, pese a que los individuos reproductivos produjeron dos veces más flores y frutos. La producción de frutos no limita la regeneración de P. tomentella y mecanismos post-dispersión pueden reducir la germinación de semillas e incrementar la mortalidad de las plántulas. En general, las poblaciones fuertemente disturbadas poseen menos probabilidades de regeneración, lo cual puede llevar a la declinación poblacional. Los programas de conservación deben dirigirse a facilitar la recuperación de los bosques, a través de la promoción del establecimiento de plántulas, reducción de sobre-extracción y sobrepastoreo y protección de los individuos adultos remanentes.
This paper reviews archaeological research of Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites in Bolivia. Given that few projects have explicitly dealt with issues related to early human peopling of the country, an attempt is made to provide a... more
This paper reviews archaeological research of Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites in Bolivia. Given that few projects have explicitly dealt with issues related to early human peopling of the country, an attempt is made to provide a comprehensive overview of known available data, focusing on radiocarbon dated sites. Recent research in different regions of the country is not only improving understanding of the variability of early human settlements, but also providing new perspectives in relation to human adaptation and climate change. Furthermore, ongoing research in Iroco and Cueva Bautista, in the highland region of the country, shows that human colonization of high-altitude ecosystems (>3800 m asl) occurred, at least, by 13,000 cal BP.
We report on previously unknown early archaeological sites in the Bolivian lowlands, demonstrating for the first time early and middle Holocene human presence in western Amazonia. Multidisciplinary research in forest islands situated in... more
We report on previously unknown early archaeological sites in the Bolivian lowlands, demonstrating for the first time early and middle Holocene human presence in western Amazonia. Multidisciplinary research in forest islands situated in seasonally-inundated savannahs has revealed stratified shell middens produced by human foragers as early as 10,000 years ago, making them the oldest archaeological sites in the region. The absence of stone resources and partial burial by recent alluvial sediments has meant that these kinds of deposits have, until now, remained unidentified. We conducted core sampling, archaeological excavations and an interdisciplinary study of the stratigraphy and recovered materials from three shell midden mounds. Based on multiple lines of evidence, including radiocarbon dating, sedimentary proxies (elements, steroids and black carbon), micromorphology and faunal analysis, we demonstrate the anthropogenic origin and antiquity of these sites. In a tropical and geomorphologically active landscape often considered challenging both for early human occupation and for the preservation of hunter-gatherer sites, the newly discovered shell middens provide evidence for early to middle Holocene occupation and illustrate the potential for identifying and interpreting early open-air archaeological sites in western Amazonia. The existence of early hunter-gatherer sites in the Bolivian lowlands sheds new light on the region’s past and offers a new context within which the late Holocene “Earthmovers” of the Llanos de Moxos could have emerged.
The economy of the Formative Period in the central highlands of Bolivia has been traditionally interpreted as an agro-pastoralist economy based on the production and consumption of domesticated camelids. Unfortunately, the lack of... more
The economy of the Formative Period in the central highlands of Bolivia has been traditionally interpreted as an agro-pastoralist economy based on the production and consumption of domesticated camelids. Unfortunately, the lack of specific zooarchaeological studies has prevented the empirical verification of this assumption. In this chapter, we present preliminary results of the zooarchaeological analysis applied to archaeofaunal remains recovered from the archaeological settlement Irucirca, located on the shores of Lake-Uru Uru, Bolivia. Extensive excavations carried out at the site allowed exposing numerous habitation structures as well as a possible corral, dated to two occupation levels of the Formative Period. The zooarchaeological analysis established that the associated archaeofaunal remains included a large proportion of camelids. Nevertheless, the conspicuous presence of other taxonomic groups, including fish, birds, and rodents, suggests a greater complexity of faunal resources use. Moreover, the economy of the inhabitants of Irucirca did not change substantially between the two occupational levels. The presented results have important implications for discussing the specificities of the economic systems of early agropastoralist societies.
A fundamental goal of anthropological research is to understand the reasons for and consequences of the development of specialized agricultural systems. The domestication of South American camelids (llamas and alpacas) was associated with... more
A fundamental goal of anthropological research is to understand the reasons for and consequences of the development of specialized agricultural systems. The domestication of South American camelids (llamas and alpacas) was associated with the development of specialized pastoralist societies that are still poorly understood. In the central altiplano of Bolivia, during the Formative Period (1800 BC − AD 400) a cultural complex known as Wankarani developed. Although Wankarani is often cited as an example of early herding society, to date, there has not been an archaeologically-oriented study, focused on understanding the characteristics of its basic economic organization. The goal of this dissertation is to improve current understanding of the nature and development of early camelid pastoralism in the Andean highlands by testing a set of hypotheses related to the economic organization of the Wankarani cultural complex and its change through time. I directed a three-year field project in Iroco (located in Oruro, Bolivia) that involved high-intensity survey of 38.35 km2, horizontal excavations at five sites, and detailed analysisof the recovered faunal remains. Based on quantitative analyses of the collected data and ethnoarchaeologically derived expectations, I demonstrate that early camelid pastoralism was characterized by high residential and logistical mobility, low population densities, and a generalized subsistence base. In contrast to prevailing views, I show that Wankarani pastoralists complemented their reliance on camelid herds with fishing, hunting wild fauna, and cultivating chenopods and tubers. This system remained locally sustainable and largely unchanged for many centuries, but the expansion of the Tiwanaku state (AD 400−1100) produced a regional reorganization that included population aggregation, cultivation intensification, and increased caravan exchange. I conclude that camelid pastoralism developed as a long-term ecological adaptation and as an efficient economic strategy capable of managing diverse processes of environmental and socio-political change.
Los cambios producidos en los sistemas de subsistencia de caza-recolección al cultivo de plantas y crianza de camélidos constituyen una de las transiciones más interesantes en la arqueología del altiplano andino. En este reporte se... more
Los cambios producidos en los sistemas de subsistencia de caza-recolección al cultivo de plantas y crianza de camélidos constituyen una de las transiciones más interesantes en la arqueología del altiplano andino. En este reporte se presentan resultados preliminares del análisis de patrones de asentamiento y materiales líticos recuperados en la región de Iroco, el margen noreste del Lago Uru-Uru, en el altiplano central de Bolivia. Los cambios producidos en los sistemas de asentamiento entre el período Arcaico (10.000-3.500 a.p.) y el período Formativo (3.500-1.600 a.p.) están relacionados con cambios en la organización económica y patrones de movilidad. Sin embargo, los cambios tecnológicos se encuentran enmarcados en una posible tradición de utilización de recursos y procesos de manufactura aplicados a los materiales líticos.
Research on past human diets in the southern Lake Titicaca Basin has directed us to investigate the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of an important dietary element, fish. By completing a range of analyses on modern and archaeological... more
Research on past human diets in the southern Lake Titicaca Basin has directed us to investigate the carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of an important dietary element, fish. By completing a range of analyses on modern and archaeological fish remains, we contribute to two related issues regarding the application of stable isotope analysis of archaeological fish remains and in turn their place within human diet. The first issue is the potential carbon and nitrogen isotope values of prehistoric fish (and how these would impact human dietary isotopic data), and the second is the observed changes in the fish isotopes through time. Out of this work we provide quantitative isotope relationships between fish tissues with and without lipid extraction, and a qualitative analysis of the isotopic relationships between fish tissues, allowing archaeologists to understand these relationships and how these values can be applied in future research. We test a mathematical lipid normalization equation to examine whether future researchers will need to perform lipid extraction procedures for Lake Titicaca fish. We also analyze a number of aquatic plants to better understand the range of isotopic signatures of the Lake Titicaca ecosystem. We use these data to better understand prehistoric human diet and the role that fish may have played in the past as well as potential changes in local lake ecology through time.
En el presente reporte, exponemos los resultados del análisis de identificación taxonómica y de modificaciones de los restos arqueofaunísticos recuperados de las excavaciones arqueológicas recientemente efectuadas en el sitio Pirque Alto... more
En el presente reporte, exponemos los resultados del análisis de identificación taxonómica y de modificaciones de los restos arqueofaunísticos recuperados de las excavaciones arqueológicas recientemente efectuadas en el sitio Pirque Alto (CP-11), localizado en el valle bajo de Cochabamba, Bolivia. El conjunto faunístico incluye una preponderancia de camélidos domesticados seguidos por un rango de microfauna, incluyendo roedores, aves y peces. Los camélidos no fueron parte de la fauna local y probablemente fueron transportados al sitio como parte de circuitos de intercambio complementario económico entre los valles y la puna. En adición, algunos especimenes de taxa exótica procedentes de las tierras bajas tropicales fueron identificados, incluyendo fragmentos de cráneos de nutria y ocelote. Nuestra interpretación de estos especimenes es que probablemente estuvieron articulados a pieles y formaron parte de vestimenta ritual. En suma, el conjunto faunístico analizado sugiere que los habitantes de Pirque Alto estuvieron comprometidos en múltiples relaciones de intercambio e interacción entre diferentes regiones ecológicas originadas durante el Período Formativo y reforzadas durante tiempos Tiwanaku.
In this paper, we present the results of the taxonomic identification and bone modification analysis of the archaeofaunal remains recovered from the recently excavated site of Pirque Alto (CP-11) located in the Cochabamba lower valley, Bolivia. The faunal assemblage includes a preponderance of domesticated camelids followed by a range of microfauna, including rodents, birds, and fish. Camelids were not part of the local fauna and had to be transported to the site, probably as part of economic complementary exchange circuits. In addition, exotic taxa specimens from the tropical lowlands were identified, including skull fragments of river otter and ocelot. Our interpretation of these specimens is that they were probably attached to skins and were part of ritual regalia. Taken together, the analyzed faunal assemblage suggests the inhabitants of Pirque Alto were engaged in multiple exchange and interaction networks between different ecological regions originated during the Formative Period and reinforced during Tiwanaku times.
In this paper, we present the results of the taxonomic identification and bone modification analysis of the archaeofaunal remains recovered from the recently excavated site of Pirque Alto (CP-11) located in the Cochabamba lower valley, Bolivia. The faunal assemblage includes a preponderance of domesticated camelids followed by a range of microfauna, including rodents, birds, and fish. Camelids were not part of the local fauna and had to be transported to the site, probably as part of economic complementary exchange circuits. In addition, exotic taxa specimens from the tropical lowlands were identified, including skull fragments of river otter and ocelot. Our interpretation of these specimens is that they were probably attached to skins and were part of ritual regalia. Taken together, the analyzed faunal assemblage suggests the inhabitants of Pirque Alto were engaged in multiple exchange and interaction networks between different ecological regions originated during the Formative Period and reinforced during Tiwanaku times.
Research Interests:
For pragmatic reasons, separate specialists usually analyze plant and animal remains recovered in archeological sites. Animal bones and charred plant remains are the products of very different organisms and tissues, fragment differently,... more
For pragmatic reasons, separate specialists usually analyze plant and animal remains recovered in archeological sites. Animal bones and charred plant remains are the products of very different organisms and tissues, fragment differently, and are identified using very different characters (see Peres, this volume; Wright, this volume). Even so, a primary concern of the Taraco Archaeological Project (TAP) has been to integrate these archaeobiological datasets to better understand aspects of ancient lifeways in the Lake Titicaca Basin of the Andes.
Increasing elevation can restrict the expansion of tree species by negatively affecting growth. In this study, we estimated growth velocity and evaluated the effects of extreme elevation on radial growth of the Andean tree Polylepis... more
Increasing elevation can restrict the expansion of tree species by negatively affecting growth. In this study, we estimated growth velocity and evaluated the effects of extreme elevation on radial growth of the Andean tree Polylepis tarapacana Philippi (Rosaceae). We also developed different models to predict the relationship between age (number of tree-rings) and allometric characters (total height and diameter). Samples of trees and shrubs were collected between 4,200 and 4,600 m asl and analyzed using standard dendrochronological methods. Results evidenced that P. tarapacana is a slow-growing species since it grows less than 5 mm per year. Furthermore, elevation has a negative effect on radial growth. Morphometric models showed that a positive relationship between total height and diameter exists but not a significant relation between number of tree-rings and morphometry. Elevation had a major role in the radial growth of P. tarapacana which interacts with microclimatic conditions. Careful considerations should be made at the moment of using allometry as a surrogate for age in ecological studies.
This paper presents a detailed zooarchaeological study of fishremains from the site of Kala Uyuni, Bolivia. The fishremains of 31 flotation samples from different archaeological contexts and dated to the FormativePeriod (1000 BC–AD 400)... more
This paper presents a detailed zooarchaeological study of fishremains from the site of Kala Uyuni, Bolivia. The fishremains of 31 flotation samples from different archaeological contexts and dated to the FormativePeriod (1000 BC–AD 400) are described in terms of frequency, weight, taxa distribution, sizes, skeletal representations, and exposure to heat. The results confirm the importance of fish in the diet of the inhabitants of the site and provide insights about the particularities of their exploitation, consumption, and differential discard across the site throughout time. A strong decline in the procurement and consumption of fish is observed for the Late Formative which seems to be a consequence of both environmental and social processes.
Se presenta un estudio de caso acerca de la ocupación Inka en la región periférica del Tawantinsuyu conocida como Señorío Kallawaya. Específicamente, se concentra en la descripción de las características del asentamiento de Maukallajta en... more
Se presenta un estudio de caso acerca de la ocupación Inka en la región periférica del Tawantinsuyu conocida como Señorío Kallawaya. Específicamente, se concentra en la descripción de las características del asentamiento de Maukallajta en las cercanías de Camata así como de otros sitios menores, ubicados en el extremo oriental de la región Kallawaya (bosques de yungas). Se exponen hipótesis de trabajo utilizando diversas líneas de evidencia (fuentes etnohistóricas, tradición oral, análisis arquitectónico y de artefactos), para explicar las múltiples razones que motivaron esta ocupación. Se concluye que la importante infraestructura física construida por los Inka en esta región fue motivada por una estrategia política económica imperial territorial que enfatizó la extracción de recursos (oro, coca y otros) hallados en esta zona fronteriza y de ingreso hacia las tierras bajas. La ocupación Inka igualmente estuvo acompañada por una fuerte ideología de dominación hegemónica.
Research Interests:
Se presentan los resultados del análisis de identificación taxonómica y modificaciones observadas en los restos arqueofaunísticos recuperados en las excavaciones de los sitios arqueológicos Huaylla Tambo y Pisakeri Tambo, Bolivia.... more
Se presentan los resultados del análisis de identificación taxonómica y modificaciones observadas en los restos arqueofaunísticos recuperados en las excavaciones de los sitios arqueológicos Huaylla Tambo y Pisakeri Tambo, Bolivia. Patrones diferenciales de consumo y desecho son analizados así como algunas patologías que podrían sugerir evidencias de caravaneo en los asentamientos. Nuestros resultados indican una preponderancia de camélidos así como la presencia de restos humanos, roedores y al menos un individuo de bóvido exótico. El product de la discusión de los datos apoya la función propuesta para los asentamientos como sitios intermedios y de baja densidad de ocupación (incluso posiblemente temporales) en el camino Inka entre Paria y Cochabamba mostrando algunas de las evidencias de las actividades realizadas en ellos.
We present the results of the analysis of taxonomic identification and observed modifications of the archaeofaunal remains excavated from the archaeological sites of Huaylla Tambo and Pisakeri Tambo, Bolivia. Patterns of differential consumption and discard are analyzed as well as some pathologies that might suggest possible evidences of caravanning in the sites. Our results suggest a preponderance of camelid remains as well as the presence of human remains, rodents, and at least one exotic ungulate present at the sites. Our data supports the hypothesized functionality of the settlements as not dense (possibly temporal) occupied intermediate sites in the Inka road between Paria and Cochabamba and points out some of the possible activities carried out in them.
We present the results of the analysis of taxonomic identification and observed modifications of the archaeofaunal remains excavated from the archaeological sites of Huaylla Tambo and Pisakeri Tambo, Bolivia. Patterns of differential consumption and discard are analyzed as well as some pathologies that might suggest possible evidences of caravanning in the sites. Our results suggest a preponderance of camelid remains as well as the presence of human remains, rodents, and at least one exotic ungulate present at the sites. Our data supports the hypothesized functionality of the settlements as not dense (possibly temporal) occupied intermediate sites in the Inka road between Paria and Cochabamba and points out some of the possible activities carried out in them.
El estudio de las plantas psicotrópicas en las culturas de los Andes recibió considerable atención, especialmente en lo referente a la importancia de su uso como parte de ceremonias y rituales en diversas sociedades andinas. Sin embargo,... more
El estudio de las plantas psicotrópicas en las culturas de los Andes recibió considerable atención, especialmente en lo referente a la importancia de su uso como parte de ceremonias y rituales en diversas sociedades andinas. Sin embargo, muy pocos consideran la importancia de éstas y otros productos como parte esencial de relaciones de intercambio entre estas sociedades. El artículo analiza el consumo de dos especies de plantas psicotrópicas (Anadenanthera colubrina y Nicotiana tabacum), a partir de datos previos en los que el uso de estas especies han sido ampliamente documentadas. Se infiere sobre las relaciones de interacción que el uso y tráfico de estos bienes pudo promover en la región de valles del altiplano Sur Andino, permitiendo fortalecer vínculos generados a nivel de proveedores, intermediarios y consumidores, con la participación activa de las sociedades que ocuparon la región.
Tesis de Licenciatura, Carrera de Arqueología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales
Research Interests:
Se presentan los resultados del análisis zooarqueológico de dos conjuntos de artefactos Tiwanaku (400-1100 DC), procedentes de la localidad de Amaguaya, en Bolivia. Los conjuntos se componen de una importante cantidad de artefactos... more
Se presentan los resultados del análisis zooarqueológico de dos conjuntos de artefactos Tiwanaku (400-1100 DC), procedentes de la localidad de Amaguaya, en Bolivia. Los conjuntos se componen de una importante cantidad de artefactos orgánicos (estuches, bolsas de cuero, textiles y fibras de lana). Mediante el análisis microscópico de pelos y fibras provenientes de los artefactos y su comparación con muestras de colecciones de referencia, se logró la identificación de la totalidad de las muestras estudiadas. Se determinó que, con excepción del jaguar (Phantera onca), el resto de las pieles y fibras con que fueron elaborados los artefactos pertenecen a especies de distribución local. Los conjuntos de Amaguaya proporcionan importante información acerca del ritual en Tiwanaku así como de las relaciones de intercambio e interacción generadas con la región de la Cordillera Oriental durante el Horizonte Medio.
En Bolivia, el manejo de la arqueología como un medio de fortalecimiento de identidades étnicas, surge como una demanda social con importantes antecedentes. En este artículo, se presenta un análisis del desarrollo histórico de la forma en... more
En Bolivia, el manejo de la arqueología como un medio de fortalecimiento de identidades étnicas, surge como una demanda social con importantes antecedentes. En este artículo, se presenta un análisis del desarrollo histórico de la forma en que los resultados de las investigaciones arqueológicas han sido empleados en el presente. Se observa que en la actualidad, a pesar de una relación cada vez más importante entre arqueólogos y comunidades locales, la "arqueología académica" falla en proporcionar los estímulos adecuados que le posibiliten un vínculo más dinámico con el público general. Para revertir esta realidad, se requiere de soluciones estructurales, que partan desde la base teórica de la praxis arqueológica y permitan generar un diálogo recíproco entre arqueología y público interesado, principalmente las comunidades indígenas, cuyo pasado y patrimonio cultural son estudiados por los proyectos de investigación arqueológica.
Understanding the reasons for and consequences of domestication and the development of specialized agricultural systems has been a fundamental goal of anthropological research. The domestication of South American camelids (llamas and... more
Understanding the reasons for and consequences of domestication and the development of specialized agricultural systems has been a fundamental goal of anthropological research. The domestication of South American camelids (llamas and alpacas) transformed the use of the Andean landscape with the development of specialized herding societies. In the central altiplano of Bolivia, during the Formative Period (1500 BC - AD 500) a cultural complex known as Wankarani developed.
Wankarani is among the most often cited examples of an early herding society in the Andes. Nevertheless, to date, there has not been an archaeologically-oriented study, focused on exploring the characteristics of Wankarani economy and faunal use. The goal of this study is to improve our current understanding of the nature and development of early camelid pastoralism in the Andean highlands by testing a set of hypotheses related to the Wankarani cultural complex and the characterization of the economic organization of the central alitplano before, during, and following the Formative Period. The studied datasets include settlement patterns, site layouts, and artifact and ecofact analysis, emphasizing faunal remains. The results of the project include a summary of 185 sites identified during survey, the excavation of eight occupation levels from five different settlements, and the analysis of over 43,000 bone specimens. Using relational analogies derived from ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological research on Andean pastoralists, and tested with descriptive and quantitative analyses of archaeological data (and particularly faunal remains), I suggest that the Formative Period of the central altiplano was occupied by communities of mobile camelid pastoralists who also practiced a number of other complementary practices such as fishing, hunting wild fauna, and cultivating quinoa and tubers. Although this subsistence system continued largely unmodified for centuries, the incorporation of the central altiplano into the Tiwanaku state around AD 500, produced structural changes that included amplified inter-regional caravan exchange and increased reliance on cultivation. This assessment is consistent with current interpretations of other early pastoralist societies that have benefited from improved anthropological research and better explanatory models.
Entender las razones y las consecuencias de la domesticación y el desarrollo de sistemas especializados de agricultura ha sido un objetivo fundamental de la investigación antropológica. La domesticación de los camélidos sudamericanos (llamas y alpacas) transformó el uso del paisaje andino con el desarrollo de sociedades pastoriles especializadas. En el altiplano central de Bolivia, durante el Período Formativo (1500 a.C. - 500 d.C.) un complejo cultural conocido como
Wankarani se desarrolló. Wankarani es uno de los ejemplos más citados como sociedad de pastoreo temprana en los Andes. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha, no ha habido un estudio arqueológico orientado a explicar las características de la economía y la utilización de fauna Wankarani. El objetivo de esta investigación es mejorar la comprensión actual de la naturaleza y el desarrollo del pastoreo temprano camélidos en el altiplano andino evaluando una serie de hipótesis relacionadas con el complejo cultural Wankarani y la caracterización de la organización económica en el altiplano central antes, durante y después del Período Formativo. Los conjuntos de datos estudiados incluyen patrones de asentamiento, estructura de sitios, y el análisis de artefactos y ecofactos, destacando los restos de fauna. Los resultados del proyecto incluyen el resumen de 185 sitios identificados durante la prospección, la excavación de ocho niveles de ocupación en cinco asentamientos diferentes, y el análisis de más de 43.000 especímenes óseos. Utilizando analogías relacionales derivadas de investigaciones etnográficas y etnoarqueológicas de pastores andinos, y basado en análisis descriptivos y cuantitativos de los datos arqueológicos (y en particular los restos de fauna), sugiero que durante el Período Formativo
el altiplano central fue ocupado por comunidades de pastores de camélidos móviles que también practicaron una serie de otras actividades complementarias como la pesca, la caza de fauna silvestre y el cultivo de la quinua y tubérculos. Aunque este sistema de subsistencia permaneció en gran medida sin modificarse durante hace siglos, la incorporación del altiplano central al estado de Tiwanaku alrededor del año 500 d.C., produjo cambios estructurales que incluyeron la amplificación del intercambio caravanero interregional y una creciente dependencia en la agricultura. Esta evaluación es coherente con las interpretaciones actuales de otras sociedades pastoriles tempranas que se han beneficiado de una mejor investigación antropológica y mejores modelos explicativos.
Wankarani is among the most often cited examples of an early herding society in the Andes. Nevertheless, to date, there has not been an archaeologically-oriented study, focused on exploring the characteristics of Wankarani economy and faunal use. The goal of this study is to improve our current understanding of the nature and development of early camelid pastoralism in the Andean highlands by testing a set of hypotheses related to the Wankarani cultural complex and the characterization of the economic organization of the central alitplano before, during, and following the Formative Period. The studied datasets include settlement patterns, site layouts, and artifact and ecofact analysis, emphasizing faunal remains. The results of the project include a summary of 185 sites identified during survey, the excavation of eight occupation levels from five different settlements, and the analysis of over 43,000 bone specimens. Using relational analogies derived from ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological research on Andean pastoralists, and tested with descriptive and quantitative analyses of archaeological data (and particularly faunal remains), I suggest that the Formative Period of the central altiplano was occupied by communities of mobile camelid pastoralists who also practiced a number of other complementary practices such as fishing, hunting wild fauna, and cultivating quinoa and tubers. Although this subsistence system continued largely unmodified for centuries, the incorporation of the central altiplano into the Tiwanaku state around AD 500, produced structural changes that included amplified inter-regional caravan exchange and increased reliance on cultivation. This assessment is consistent with current interpretations of other early pastoralist societies that have benefited from improved anthropological research and better explanatory models.
Entender las razones y las consecuencias de la domesticación y el desarrollo de sistemas especializados de agricultura ha sido un objetivo fundamental de la investigación antropológica. La domesticación de los camélidos sudamericanos (llamas y alpacas) transformó el uso del paisaje andino con el desarrollo de sociedades pastoriles especializadas. En el altiplano central de Bolivia, durante el Período Formativo (1500 a.C. - 500 d.C.) un complejo cultural conocido como
Wankarani se desarrolló. Wankarani es uno de los ejemplos más citados como sociedad de pastoreo temprana en los Andes. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha, no ha habido un estudio arqueológico orientado a explicar las características de la economía y la utilización de fauna Wankarani. El objetivo de esta investigación es mejorar la comprensión actual de la naturaleza y el desarrollo del pastoreo temprano camélidos en el altiplano andino evaluando una serie de hipótesis relacionadas con el complejo cultural Wankarani y la caracterización de la organización económica en el altiplano central antes, durante y después del Período Formativo. Los conjuntos de datos estudiados incluyen patrones de asentamiento, estructura de sitios, y el análisis de artefactos y ecofactos, destacando los restos de fauna. Los resultados del proyecto incluyen el resumen de 185 sitios identificados durante la prospección, la excavación de ocho niveles de ocupación en cinco asentamientos diferentes, y el análisis de más de 43.000 especímenes óseos. Utilizando analogías relacionales derivadas de investigaciones etnográficas y etnoarqueológicas de pastores andinos, y basado en análisis descriptivos y cuantitativos de los datos arqueológicos (y en particular los restos de fauna), sugiero que durante el Período Formativo
el altiplano central fue ocupado por comunidades de pastores de camélidos móviles que también practicaron una serie de otras actividades complementarias como la pesca, la caza de fauna silvestre y el cultivo de la quinua y tubérculos. Aunque este sistema de subsistencia permaneció en gran medida sin modificarse durante hace siglos, la incorporación del altiplano central al estado de Tiwanaku alrededor del año 500 d.C., produjo cambios estructurales que incluyeron la amplificación del intercambio caravanero interregional y una creciente dependencia en la agricultura. Esta evaluación es coherente con las interpretaciones actuales de otras sociedades pastoriles tempranas que se han beneficiado de una mejor investigación antropológica y mejores modelos explicativos.
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Andean pastoralism has long been considered a unique form of animal husbandry that is not comparable to Old World nomadic traditions. Recent archaeological research has revealed that camelid pastoralism (the herding of llamas and alpacas)... more
Andean pastoralism has long been considered a unique form of animal husbandry that is not comparable to Old World nomadic traditions. Recent archaeological research has revealed that camelid pastoralism (the herding of llamas and alpacas) evolved independently in the New World. The essays in this book explore the archaeology of pastoralist societies in Andean South America. They discuss the origins of domesticated camelids, variation in the development of pastoralist traditions, ritual and animal sacrifice, and social interaction through caravans. The multidisciplinary chapters showcase contributions from different methodologies including settlement pattern analysis, zooarchaeology and paleobotany, and ethnoarchaeology.