Life on the "Periphery": Pastoralism at Atalla

Summary

Atalla, located in the South Central Andes of Peru in the province of Huancavelica, boasts a monumental temple and expansive, multi-phase domestic areas. Occupation of the site intermittently spans approximately 3000 years, and human presence in the surrounding area likely predates this site. Recent excavations focusing on both the monumental and domestic sectors of the site have yielded faunal remains from nearly all contexts. Here, I present an analysis of the faunal remains and bone tools from all periods of occupation at Atalla, focusing primarily on the earliest occupations of the site. I integrate zooarchaeological and microbotanical data to explore the emergent pastoral economy in relation to Atalla's potential role as both a distributor of cinnabar and a central locus of interregional exchange.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Ecological Adaptations and New Forms of Pastoralism? New Insights into Herding Practices in the Andes during the Prehispanic Times

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16918