The Preceramic Las Vegas Culture of Coastal Ecuador

1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E. Stothert
Keyword(s):  
Littoral Zone ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Las Vegas ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Semiarid Environment ◽  
Plant Cultivation ◽  
Local Manifestation ◽  
Type Site ◽  
Santa Elena

This article begins with a description of excavations in the Las Vegas type site on the Santa Elena Peninsula, Ecuador. A pre-Las Vegas phase (11,000 to 10,000 B.P.) is defined provisionally, and the Early Las Vegas (10,000 to 8000 B.P.) and Late Las Vegas (8000 to 6600 B.P.) phases are described from artifacts, burials, settlement data, faunal remains, pollen, and phytoliths. The Las Vegas people were unspecialized hunters, fishermen, and gatherers living in a littoral zone who added plant cultivation to their subsistence system before 8,000 years ago. Evidence for bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and primitive maize (Zea mays L.) was found in the Las Vegas type site. The differences between the modern, semiarid environment and the environment of the preceramic period are accounted for without hypothesizing climatic change. Las Vegas is interpreted as a local manifestation of an early tropical forest cultural tradition out of which developed the ceramic-stage cultures of the Ecuadorian coast.

Small Sambaquis and Big Chronologies: Shellmound Building and Hunter-Gatherers in Neotropical Highlands

Radiocarbon ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 1215-1221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levy Figuti ◽  
Cláudia R Plens ◽  
Paulo DeBlasis
Keyword(s):  
Human Bone ◽  
Cultural Continuity ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
C Distribution ◽  
Bone Remains

Sambaquis, famous Brazilian coastal shellmounds, represent a successful and long archaeological cultural tradition, with hundreds of sites spread over 2000 km of the Brazilian south-southeast coastline. These sites have many burials within a sequence of layers comprising a mix of faunal remains, charcoal, ashes, and sand, thus resulting in very complex stratigraphic structures. Several radiocarbon samples exhibit ages between 8000 and 1000 cal yr BP. In the Brazilian southeastern coastal hinterland, at the Ribeira de Iguape basin, 36 small mounds similar to the sambaquis were found, composed mostly of landsnail shells, bone remains of terrestrial fauna, lithic and osteodontological artifacts, and quite a few burials. Through the last decade an archaeological research project has accomplished extensive surveys and systematic 14C sampling, together with excavations in selected sites. A sequence of ages has been obtained from different samples (16 on shell, 10 on human bone, and 6 on charcoal) representing 19 sites. These dates range from 10,000 to 1000 cal yr BP, highlighting around 9000 yr of cultural continuity, contemporary to both the Paleoindian record over the hinterland plateau, and older than their coastal counterparts, the sambaquis. By presenting the 14C distribution and an overview of the archaeological features of these sites, we discuss briefly the dispersion and settlement processes of early peopling in this area of Brazil.

scholarly journals Early integration of pastoralism and millet cultivation in Bronze Age Eurasia

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1910) ◽  
pp. 20191273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor R. Hermes ◽  
Michael D. Frachetti ◽  
Paula N. Doumani Dupuy ◽  
Alexei Mar'yashev ◽  
Almut Nebel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Early Integration ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Inner Asia ◽  
Plant Cultivation ◽  
Mobile Pastoralists ◽  
Stable Isotopic ◽  
Initial Transmission

Mobile pastoralists are thought to have facilitated the first trans-Eurasian dispersals of domesticated plants during the Early Bronze Age ( ca 2500–2300 BC). Problematically, the earliest seeds of wheat, barley and millet in Inner Asia were recovered from human mortuary contexts and do not inform on local cultivation or subsistence use, while contemporaneous evidence for the use and management of domesticated livestock in the region remains ambiguous. We analysed mitochondrial DNA and multi-stable isotopic ratios (δ 13 C, δ 15 N and δ 18 O) of faunal remains from key pastoralist sites in the Dzhungar Mountains of southeastern Kazakhstan. At ca 2700 BC, Near Eastern domesticated sheep and goat were present at the settlement of Dali, which were also winter foddered with the region's earliest cultivated millet spreading from its centre of domestication in northern China. In the following centuries, millet cultivation and caprine management became increasingly intertwined at the nearby site of Begash. Cattle, on the other hand, received low levels of millet fodder at the sites for millennia. By primarily examining livestock dietary intake, this study reveals that the initial transmission of millet across the mountains of Inner Asia coincided with a substantial connection between pastoralism and plant cultivation, suggesting that pastoralist livestock herding was integral for the westward dispersal of millet from farming societies in China.

The Folsom (Paleoindian) Type Site: Past Investigations, Current Studies

2002 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Meltzer ◽  
Lawrence C. Todd ◽  
Vance T. Holliday
Keyword(s):  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Projectile Points ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Lithic Assemblage ◽  
Wild Horse ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Type Site ◽  
High Utility ◽  
Cultural Origins

Research on the Folsom Paleoindian type site, involving renewed field investigations and an analysis of extant collections from the 1920s excavations, was undertaken between 1997 and 2000. The preliminary results of that research show that all excavations to date have been in the kill area, which took place in a small and relatively shallow tributary to the Pleistocene paleovalley of Wild Horse Arroyo as well as in the paleovalley itself. Preliminary butchering of ∼32 Bison antiquus took place near where the animals were dropped. The kill area is dominated by low-utility bone elements and broken projectile points; high-utility bones and tools for processing meat and hides are rare or absent, and either occur in another, as-yet undiscovered area of the site, or altogether off-site. Faunal remains are generally in excellent condition. Those in the tributary are mostly in primary context, and underwent rapid burial beneath fine-grained (dominantly aeolian) sediments, which in turn were subsequently armored by a shingle shale; those in the paleovalley experienced postdepositional transport and redeposition. The small lithic assemblage is dominated by projectile points and comprised of material mostly from two sources in the Texas panhandle, several hundred kilometers southeast of the site. It also includes stone obtained from sources at comparable distances north and northwest of the site. A series of radiocarbon ages is available for the stratigraphic units, nearly all from charcoal of non-cultural origins; radiocarbon dates on bison bone put the age of the kill at 10,500 B.P.

scholarly journals UN NUEVO ACERCAMIENTO AL ESTUDIO DE HERRAMIENTAS LÍTICAS DE LA CULTURA MILENARIA “LAS VEGAS” SANTA ELENA, ECUADOR.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshitaka Kanomata ◽  
Andrei V. Tabarev ◽  
Julia V. Tabarev ◽  
Karen E. Stothert
Keyword(s):  
Las Vegas ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Vegetable Fibers ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Use Wear ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
History Of ◽  
Stone Material ◽  
Santa Elena

La historia del estudio de la cultura Las Vegas ilustra un aspecto del proceso científico: se debe revisar repetidamente las interpretaciones de la evidencia arqueológica porque el desarrollo de técnicas de análisis más avanzadas nos conducen siempre a mejores interpretaciones del pasado. Se presenta unos ejemplos del progreso científico en el campo de la arqueología ecuatoriana y se enfoca en la tecnología lítica de la cultura Vegas conocida a base de evidencias arqueológicas recuperadas en sitios habitacionales ubicados en la Península de Santa Elena y ocupados originalmente en el Holoceno Temprano. Se hace una descripción morfológica de herramientas líticas (lascas de piedra) manufacturadas por manos de la gente Vegas, pero se enfatiza un nuevo programa de observaciones sistemáticas microscópicas que ha resultado en inferir las funciones de algunas herramientas. La interpretación se basa en la identificación de huellas de uso (use wear) que aparecen bajo magnificación como estrías y pulimiento que son los resultados del uso del filo de las lascas en diversos trabajos. Se sugiere que una lasca servía para tallar hueso o asta de venado, mientras que otra se empleaba antiguamente en el raspado en seco del cuero de un animal. El próximo paso de la investigación es la replicación de unas lascas Vegas utilizando piedra natural de Santa Elena: luego con estas lascas se emprende actividades experimentales (como cortar y raspar en una variedad de fibras vegetales y tejidos de origen animal) para luego poder inferir las actividades específicas realizadas por los antiguos pobladores de la costa del Ecuador.   Palabras clave: Cultura Las Vegas, Tecnología lítica, Holoceno temprano   ABSTRACT The history of the study of the Las Vegas culture illustrates an aspect of the scientific process: it is ad- visable to review repeatedly the interpretation of archaeological evidence because the development of more advanced techniques of analysis result in better interpretations of the past. Several examples of scientific progress in Ecuadorian archaeology are presented, but this study focuses on the lithic techno- logy of the Las Vegas culture known from evidence recovered from habitation sites located on the Santa Elena Peninsula that were occupied during the Early Holocene. We summarize the manufacture of Vegas tools based on their morphology, but we emphasize an innovative program of systematic micros- copic observation that has resulted in the inference of the functions of ancient tools. This interpretation is based on the identification of patterns of use wear or damage (microscopic striations and zones of polish) that appear on the edges of the lithic flakes manufactured by Vegas people. It is suggested that one lithic flake functioned to work bone or deer antler, while another was used to process dry animal hide. The next step in this investigation is to replicate some Vegas flake tools using local stone material in Santa Elena. Then it will be necessary to undertake experimental activities (like cutting and scraping a variety of materials such as vegetable fibers and animal flesh and bones) in order to produce use wear patterns on the duplicate tools that correspond to known activities. By comparing the experimental tools with ancient Vegas tools, it will be possible to infer more precisely the activities performed by the ancient inhabitants of the coast of Ecuador.   Keywords: Las Vegas Culture, lithic technology, Early Holocene Recibido 18/12/2013 Aprobado 12/02/2014

scholarly journals Efecto de variante de riego en la producción de maíz (zea mays l.) En la Comuna Río Verde, cantón Santa Elena, Ecuador.

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-104
Author(s):  
Ángel León ◽  
Mercedes Arzube ◽  
Lenni Ramírez
Keyword(s):  
Zea Mays ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Quadratic Equation ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
State University ◽  
Randomized Design ◽  
El Alto ◽  
Measuring Tool ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Santa Elena

El ensayo se realizó en el Centro de Producción y Prácticas Río Verde, propiedad de la Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena, ubicada en la comuna Río verde cantón Santa Elena, el trabajo de investigación tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto de variantes de riego en el comportamiento agronómico del maíz bajo diferentes láminas de riego utilizando como instrumento de medición de la evaporación la tina clase A. Los tratamientos fueron cinco dosis de riego 60, 70, 80, 90 y 100 % de la evapotranspiración, los tratamientos se dispusieron en un diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones, las medias comparadas con la prueba de Tukey  (p > 0,05). El análisis de regresión se ajusta a una ecuación de segundo grado y el coeficiente de determinación R2 0,91, el mismo que muestra el alto grado de dependencia de los resultados en función de las variantes de riego. La mayor producción la obtuvo el tratamiento  90% con 12,18 t.ha-1. AbstractEffect of irrigation variant in the corn production (Zea mays L.) at Río Verde commune, Santa Elena, Ecuador.The test was conducted at the Production and Practice Center Río Verde, owned by the Santa Elena Peninsula State University, located in Río Verde commune, Santa Elena canton, the research aimed to evaluate the effect of irrigation variations into agronomic performance of corn under different irrigation sheets using as measuring tool evaporation A class Pan. The treatments were five doses of irrigation 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100% of evapotranspiration, treatments were placed in a complete randomized design of blocks with four replications, the averages compared with the Tukey test (p> 0.05). The regression analysis fits a quadratic equation and the coefficient of determination R2 0,91 which shows the high degree of dependence of results based on irrigation variants. The highest production was obtained by the treatment with 90% with 12,18 t.ha-1. 

scholarly journals Efecto de la inoculación de bacterias nativas en dos híbridos de maíz (zea mays l.), provincia de Santa Elena

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-60
Author(s):  
Javier Soto ◽  
Alejandra Julio ◽  
Lilibeth Crespo A ◽  
Gabriela Borbor T ◽  
Verónica Borbor D.
Keyword(s):  
Zea Mays ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Santa Elena

En la actualidad la mayoría de los sistemas de producción agrícola están sobrecargados con residuos de insumos químicos que aceleran el desgaste del suelo y contaminan las fuentes de agua subterránea. Siendo una alternativa el empleo de biofermentos provenientes de bacterias nativas de la rizosfera, muy conocidas por la producción de sustancias promotoras de crecimiento vegetal (PGPR) y de resistencia a ciertos patógenos. En el presente trabajo se seleccionaron y emplearon tres cepas bacterianas (FPMG2, FPMG4 y VAIRV) asociadas a nódulos de leguminosas de la península de Santa Elena de la colección CIAP-UPSE (Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias de la Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena), con potencial uso para la elaboración de biofertilizantes en plantas no leguminosas y de importancia alimenticia como el maíz (Zea mays L.); evaluando la influencia de los híbridos AGRI 104 y 201 en la germinación (a nivel de laboratorio y campo), cultivo y rendimiento en dos fincas agrícolas en la provincia de Santa Elena-Ecuador.

Review of the Early Preceramic Complexes of the Santa Elena Peninsula, Ecuador

1983 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E. Stothert
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Las Vegas ◽  
Santa Elena

Of the four late Pleistocene and early post-Pleistocene lithic complexes defined by Edward P. Lanning, only one, the Las Vegas complex, is supported by existing evidence from the Santa Elena Peninsula of southwest Ecuador. The Achallan culture, previously defined by Stothert and assigned to the post-Las Vegas period, is now unsupported by satisfactory evidence.

Middle Preceramic Public and Residential Sites on the Forested Slope of the Western Andes, Northern Peru

1989 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 733-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom. D. Dillehay ◽  
Patricia J. Netherly ◽  
Jack Rossen
Keyword(s):  
Western Slope ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Alluvial Fans ◽  
Extractive Agent ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Mineral Supplement ◽  
Ground Stone ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
Local Manifestation ◽  
Northern Peru

A decade of intermittent archaeological research in the upper Zaña Valley in northern Peru has documented an intensive Middle Preceramic period (ca. 6000—4200 B.C.) occupation in the tropical-forest and thorn-forest ecotone on the western Andean slopes. This research has revealed one stratified nonresidential site (the Cementerio de Nanchoc), characterized by dual earth mounds, and a complex of small, preceramic residential sites in the Nanchoc branch of the valley. The nonresidential site is associated with the production of lime, probably used as a mineral supplement to the diet or as an extractive agent with coca leaves. Evidence recovered from residential sites shows that incipient horticulturists, documented by the presence of several species of cultigens, and unspecialized hunters and gathers lived in scattered households located along small streams in alluvial fans above the valley floor. A unifacial lithic technology and a diversified ground-stone technology attest to an economy primarily adapted to plant resources. The preceramic culture of the upper Zaña Valley is interpreted as a local manifestation of an early western-slope-forest cultural tradition associated with the development of a specialized public precinct and the adoption and intensification of agriculture.

Last interglacial sediments of the Don Valley Brickyard, Toronto, Canada, and their paleoenvironmental significance

1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1108-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Eyles ◽  
Bryan M. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Wave Theory ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Linear Wave ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Glacial Cycle ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Glacial Sediments ◽  
Lake Outlet ◽  
Type Site ◽  
Water Depths

The Don Valley Brickyard in Toronto is an internationally designated type site in recognition of diverse faunal remains in the Don Beds of last (Sangamonian) interglacial age; pollen in overlying strata record the climatic deterioration marking the onset of the last (Wisconsinan) glacial cycle. New sedimentological descriptions show that the Don Beds, about 8 m thick, were deposited in a lacustrine lower shoreface environment subject to episodic storms. Storm-deposited sand facies are interbedded with peaty muds that are extensively bioturbated. Water depths, derived from wave-formed ripples using linear wave theory, appear to have increased during deposition of the Don Beds from about 2 m to about 18 m (12–28 m above the modern lake level), a change that is recorded by an overall fining-up sequence. Increasing water depths may have been the result of isostatic recovery of the lake outlet to the east. The Don Beds overlie a thin bouldery deposit, possibly a remnant of older Illinoian glacial sediments (York Till). The interglacial beds pass up into prodelta rhythmites (Scarborough Clays) of a regionally extensive delta body, indicating continued deepening. Deepening was accompanied by steadily decreasing mean annual temperatures; upper deltaic sediments (Scarborough Sands), exposed to the east along lakeshore bluffs, were deposited in a cold-climate setting during the opening phase of the Wisconsin glaciation.

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