Multifunctional Bone Tool Usage at the Prehispanic Site of Jecosh (Ancash, Peru)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

We present a preliminary analysis of the worked bone assemblage from the prehispanic settlement of Jecosh in the Callejón de Huaylas valley of Ancash, Peru. Inhabitants lived at this hilltop site for nearly two millennia, from the post-Chavín period through the time of Inka conquest of the region (~100BCE-1532CE) with noticeable settlement intensification during Recuay times (100 – 700CE). Within 2400 animal bones excavated from the site’s domestic contexts, 60 had at least one worked surface or were transformed into tools. Most bone tools were made from bones of large mammals: camelids or deer, and the most frequently utilized skeletal elements were long bones (especially metapodials) and scapulae. The high metapodial frequency in the bone-tool making process suggest the re-utilization of discarded butchery refuse. Based on macroscopic qualitative and metric analyses, we created a tentative bone tool typology, which revealed a high tool standardization and specialization of production. Some tools were likely used to clean animal skins in the pelt-making process, while others could have been used for lithic, textile, and pottery production. This research suggests a wide range of craft activities pursued at Jecosh and is the first attempt at a bone tool typology in the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24907