So Many Chenopods: Paleoethnobotany of the Late Intermediate Period, Puno, Peru (AD 1100-1450)

Summary

Following the collapse of Tiwanaku in the Andean altiplano, warfare, sociopolitical balkanization, and a severe drought lead to economic hardships during the Late Intermediate period (LIP) between A.D. 1100 and 1450. Previous research in the region has shed light on how martial conflict between and possibly among competing ethnic groups incited people to live in defensive fortified hilltop villages. Although scholars have previously speculated on the severity of lifeways for residents of hillforts during the LIP, no quotidian data existed to substantiate these hypotheses. Drawing on macrobotanical information collected from Ayawiri, one of the largest hillforts in the northern Titicaca basin, I reconstruct plant use and foodways during the LIP. Analysis of caches and other domestic contexts indicate LIP peoples relied heavily on quinoa and other Chenopodium spp., demonstrating Ayawiri foodways were nonetheless salubrious. I assess the diversity of food assemblages across households to elucidate intra-community economic variation. In doing so, I present a comprehensive understanding of LIP plant use.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage