Cultural Diversity and Its Implications: A Case Study from Middle Horizon Cajamarca, Northern Highlands of Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Them and Us: Transmission and Cultural Dynamism in the North of Peru between AD 250 and 950: A Vision since the Recent Northern Investigations" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In this paper, we will discuss the pottery typology and chronology of Cajamarca region to consider the cultural dynamics during the Middle Horizon period. We will present the excavation data from three archaeological sites: El Palacio, Paredones, and Terlén La Bomba. During the Middle Cajamarca Phase A (CE 600–750) the kaolinitic ceramic of Cajamarca presents intense uniformity, but during the Middle Cajamarca Phase B and C (CE 750–950) this pattern changes for a more diverse fine ceramics and mortuary patterns. In order to test our hypothesis, we will consider the following points: (1) the relation between cultural diversity and political system of Wari Empire, (2) the interaction between the Cajamarca region and the north coast of Peru, and (3) the genesis of new material culture. An example of this last point is the “Coastal Cajamarca” type pottery which appeared during the Middle Horizon and continued in the Late Intermediate period in Lambayeque region. This pottery type is an indicator of interaction, and our work will consider the background of its origin and distribution. This new style is distributed mainly along the Jequetepeque Valley. Finally, we will discuss the transition from the Middle Horizon to the Late Intermediate periods.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Them and Us: Transmission and Cultural Dynamism in the North of Peru between AD 250 and 950: A Vision since the Recent Northern Investigations   •
• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32745