Spatial Analysis and the Interpretation of Rock Art at the Cajamarca Site of Callacpuma, Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Technique and Interpretation in the Archaeology of Rock Art" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Callacpuma is a multicomponent archaeological site in the Cajamarca Basin of the northern highlands of Peru with a long and complex history of human occupation spanning from at least 1000 BC to approximately AD 1500. An estimated 3,000-4,000 rock art panels dot the landscape of Callacpuma. Over the past three field seasons, 100 panels have been recorded. We use this sample to examine the spatial relationships of the rock panels to each other and to other important features on the landscape. This research provides an example of how GIS-based spatial analysis can be used to employ rock art panels in understanding the patterns of human occupation at archaeological sites. The work also presents preliminary conclusions regarding the chronology and function of the Callacpuma rock art. Thus, contributing to our understanding of both the development of prehistory in the Cajamarca Basin as well as the use of spatial analysis in rock art studies.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Technique and Interpretation in the Archaeology of Rock Art   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23288