Chemical evidence of prehistoric passive tobacco consumption by a human perinate (early Formative Period, South-Central Andes)

AbstractThis work concerns the study of colors and dyes identified on archaeological textiles from the Atacama Desert. The different garments and ornaments come from the excavation of two important pre-Columbian cemeteries of the Tarapacá region: Tarapacá-40 attributed to the Formative period (1100 BC–660 AD) and Pica-8 to the Late Intermediate period (900–1450 AD). For the first time, a multi-analytical approach with non-invasive techniques using FORS and SERS was applied on samples of less than 2 cm of length for physicochemical characterization of the raw materials and the dyes employed in the textile production of northern Chile. The fibers are from animal origin. Blue, green, and yellow are identified as indigo, but we cannot discard a mixture with other dyes to vary hue and shade; while carminic acid and alizarin—to a lesser extent—are found on red, orange, and brown samples. This research provides new elements for the discussion about the textile technology developed in this desertic region, its changes, and continuities along the history. Our results are compared to recent findings on neighboring regions from South-Central Andes, to improve the current knowledge and discuss the existence of dyeing textile cultural traditions.

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Late Archaic–Early Formative period microbotanical evidence for potato at Jiskairumoko in the Titicaca Basin of southern Peru

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1604265113 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 113 (48) ◽

pp. 13672-13677 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Claudia Ursula Rumold ◽

Mark S. Aldenderfer

Keyword(s):

Potato Starch ◽

Formative Period ◽

Late Archaic ◽

Plant Resources ◽

South Central ◽

Intensive Exploitation ◽

Titicaca Basin ◽

Early Use ◽

Grinding Tool ◽

Early Formative

The data presented in this paper provide direct microbotanical evidence concerning the early use of potato (Solanum tuberosum) within its botanical locus of origin in the high south-central Andes. The data derive from Jiskairumoko, an early village site in the western Titicaca Basin dating to the Late Archaic to Early Formative periods (∼3,400 cal y BC to 1,600 cal y BC). Because the site reflects the transition to sedentism and food production, these data may relate to potato domestication and early cultivation. Of 141 starch microremains recovered from 14 groundstone tools from Jiskairumoko, 50 are identified as consistent with cultivated or domesticated potato, based on reference to published materials and a study of wild and cultivated potato starch morphology. Along with macro- and microbotanical evidence for chenopod consumption and grinding tool data reflecting intensive use of this technology throughout site occupation, the microbotanical data reported here suggest the intensive exploitation, if not cultivation, of plant resources at Jiskairumoko. Elucidating the details of the trajectory of potato domestication is necessary for an overall understanding of the development of highland Andean agriculture, as this crop is central to the autochthonous agricultural suite. A paucity of direct botanical evidence, however, has hindered research efforts. The results of the modern and archaeological starch analyses presented here underscore the utility of this method in addressing questions related to the timing, mode, and context of potato origins.

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Marine food consumption in coastal northern Chilean (Atacama Desert) populations during the Formative Period: Implications of isotopic evidence (C, N, S) for the Neolithic process in south central Andes

Journal of Archaeological Science Reports ◽

10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.01.026 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 768-776 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marta Díaz-Zorita Bonilla ◽

Dorothée G. Drucker ◽

Pascale Richardin ◽

Verónica Silva-Pinto ◽

Marcela Sepúlveda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Consumption ◽

Atacama Desert ◽

Central Andes ◽

Formative Period ◽

Isotopic Evidence ◽

South Central ◽

Marine Food

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Compositional data supports decentralized model of production and circulation of artifacts in the pre-Columbian south-central Andes

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1610494114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 114 (20) ◽

pp. E3917-E3926 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marisa Lazzari ◽

Lucas Pereyra Domingorena ◽

Wesley D. Stoner ◽

María Cristina Scattolin ◽

María Alejandra Korstanje ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Compositional Data ◽

Central Andes ◽

Formative Period ◽

Small Scale ◽

The Andes ◽

South Central ◽

Wide Range ◽

Ancient Exchange ◽

Decentralized Model

The circulation and exchange of goods and resources at various scales have long been considered central to the understanding of complex societies, and the Andes have provided a fertile ground for investigating this process. However, long-standing archaeological emphasis on typological analysis, although helpful to hypothesize the direction of contacts, has left important aspects of ancient exchange open to speculation. To improve understanding of ancient exchange practices and their potential role in structuring alliances, we examine material exchanges in northwest Argentina (part of the south-central Andes) during 400 BC to AD 1000 (part of the regional Formative Period), with a multianalytical approach (petrography, instrumental neutron activation analysis, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) to artifacts previously studied separately. We assess the standard centralized model of interaction vs. a decentralized model through the largest provenance database available to date in the region. The results show: (i) intervalley heterogeneity of clays and fabrics for ordinary wares; (ii) intervalley homogeneity of clays and fabrics for a wide range of decorated wares (e.g., painted Ciénaga); (iii) selective circulation of two distinct polychrome wares (Vaquerías and Condorhuasi); (iv) generalized access to obsidian from one major source and various minor sources; and (v) selective circulation of volcanic rock tools from a single source. These trends reflect the multiple and conflicting demands experienced by people in small-scale societies, which may be difficult to capitalize by aspiring elites. The study undermines centralized narratives of exchange for this period, offering a new platform for understanding ancient exchange based on actual material transfers, both in the Andes and beyond.

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Domestic Architecture, Ethnicity, and Complementarity in the South-Central Andes

10.2307/j.ctt20h6vhb ◽

1993 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Keyword(s):

Central Andes ◽

Domestic Architecture ◽

The South ◽

South Central

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Archaeology and pre-Hispanic mining rituals in the south-central Andes (Puna of Salta, Northwestern Argentina)

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology ◽

10.1016/j.jaa.2021.101275 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 62 ◽

pp. 101275

Author(s):

Federico I. Coloca ◽

Gabriel E.J. López

Keyword(s):

Central Andes ◽

The South ◽

Northwestern Argentina ◽

South Central

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Reconsidering the Age and Typological Character of “Pox Pottery” from Guerrero, Mexico

Latin American Antiquity ◽

10.1017/laq.2021.14 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Douglas J. Kennett ◽

Barbara Voorhies ◽

Josue Gomez

Keyword(s):

Formative Period ◽

Early Age ◽

Cultural Traditions ◽

Isthmus Of Tehuantepec ◽

Per Se ◽

The 1960S ◽

Formative Ceramics ◽

Early Formative

We revisit the age and typological character of “Pox Pottery” that was reported in the 1960s by Charles Brush who considered it to be uniquely early (~2440 BC). Investigating the same two sites in coastal Guerrero where Brush excavated, we recovered Early Formative ceramics, some with the “pox” attribute. Here, we report potsherd frequencies for these deposits at both sites according to regional ceramic typologies, as well as AMS 14C dates used to establish a Bayesian stratigraphic chronology for each site to better constrain the age of these Early Formative period deposits. We argue that “Pox Pottery” is not a ceramic type per se and that the “pox” attribute occurs in multiple Early Formative period ceramic types. The earliest pottery is similar to other Red-on-Buff ceramic traditions from the Central Mexican Highlands and west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Our chronological work demonstrates that these ceramics date between 1820 and 1400 cal BC, consistent with other recent studies indicating an early age of Red-on-Buff ceramics and suggesting shared cultural traditions distinct from the contemporary Locona interaction sphere that emerged in parallel.

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