Ceremonial and Psychotropic Plants of the Tiwanaku (AD 500-1000): New Evidence for Erythroxylum Coca and Anadenanthera Colubrina from the Omo Temple in Moquegua, Peru.

Author(s): Giacomo Gaggio; Paul Goldstein

Year: 2017

Summary

The consumption of psychotropic substances is a ceremonial practice widespread worldwide since antiquity, however, archaeological evidence for the role of plants in rituals is scarce and interpretations are mostly derived from ethnographies and iconography. Among other methods of analysis, Paleoethnobotany is one of the most indicated for the finding of micro and macro remains involved in ceremonies. This paper presents the results of a Paleoethnobotanical analysis conducted at the site of Omo M10A, a Tiwanaku Temple located in the Moquegua Valley, in Southern Peru, built and in use during the Middle Horizon Period (AD 500-1000). The analysis of field-screened remains and soil samples from floor contexts and features revealed the presence of Erythroxylum Coca and Anadenanthera Colubrina, two plants known to be central in ancient Andean rituals, demonstrating how Paleoethnobotany is essential for a complete understanding of ceremonial contexts in archaeology. This paper evaluates deposits, artifacts and ecofacts associated with these rare finds, shedding new light on Tiwanaku rituals in the lowlands.

Cite this Record

Ceremonial and Psychotropic Plants of the Tiwanaku (AD 500-1000): New Evidence for Erythroxylum Coca and Anadenanthera Colubrina from the Omo Temple in Moquegua, Peru.. Giacomo Gaggio, Paul Goldstein. Presented at The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver, British Columbia. 2017 ( tDAR id: 430042)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -93.691; min lat: -56.945 ; max long: -31.113; max lat: 18.48 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15653