Cajamarcan Presence in the Northern Coast of Peru during the Middle Horizon: A Ceramic Styles Approach

Summary

Around 750 A.D., the Mochica societies occupying the mouth of the Jequetepeque River, in the north coast of Peru, began a brief but intensive collapse process that opened their borders to nearby societies; especially those settled in the highlands of Cajamarca. Materialized in plates made from kaolinite clays, this Cajamarca presence quickly spreads throughout the valley generating different dynamics of cultural interaction reflected in the creation of new ceramic styles (“coastal“ cajamarca), the introduction of different funeral patterns in the cemetery of San Jose de Moro and the presence of cajamarquino groups in the fortified settlement of Cerro Chepén. Through the stylistic, ethnographic and petrographic studies of the ceramic vessels from the collection of the San José de Moro Archaeological Program and the settlements located in the Jequetepeque Valley, the possible reasons of interaction between these two social groups and the probable impact on the creation and recreation of coastal and highland identities of those who inhabited the northern coast of Jequetepeque between 750 A.D. and 950 A.D. will be described.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Continuity and Change in the Peruvian North Highlands: Current Research in the Cajamarca Region

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