Pigment Identification as a Proxy for Intercultural Interaction in Casma, Ancash during the Initial Period (2100-1000 B.C.E.)

Summary

Differential distribution of mineral resources in the Andean area has necessitated a long history of interaction between coastal and highland peoples. However, when it comes to the Casma Valley, it is not clear when these interactions began. This paper addresses this issue through an examination of the mineralogy of a set of pigment samples collected from tools found at four sites of the Sechin Alto Polity identified by way of X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of the XRD findings will be linked to the most probable source regions where people collected minerals that were processed, distributed, and consumed for purposes such as the adornment of structures and body decoration during the Initial Period (ca. 1500 B.C.E.). This information, coupled with GIS derived least-cost paths, allows an understanding of the extent of movement of coastal Casma people within the river valley and whether or not they were in contact with highland peoples who lived near modern-day Huaraz. Additionally, this paper will advocate for more widespread use of XRD analysis due to the benefits it offers in the protection and preservation of cultural resources.

SAA 2015 abstracts made available in tDAR courtesy of the Society for American Archaeology and Center for Digital Antiquity Collaborative Program to improve digital data in archaeology. If you are the author of this presentation you may upload your paper, poster, presentation, or associated data (up to 3 files/30MB) for free. Please visit http://www.tdar.org/SAA2015 for instructions and more information.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage