Northern Gallinazo: A Transformational View from the Lambayeque Region, Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Gallinazo sociopolitical organization is rarely considered outside the Virú Valley heartland. My recent work in the Lambayeque region of northern coastal Peru brings to light several anomalies that force reevaluation of long-standing ideas. Today, there are several persistent yet mistaken observations that continue to skew the perception of prehispanic Andean civilization on Peru’s north coast, one of two regional hubs that saw the emergence of multiple complex societies over time. In the Lambayeque region in particular, a notable settlement pattern consisting of (1) large-scale monument building near (2) dramatic natural landforms (3) juxtaposed by stone-masonry residential complexes (4) often found in association with canal systems, and (5) mineral resources is observed throughout the first millennium. The strong association of this site form and the abundant presence of pottery decorated with emoji-like Gallinazo expressions are most intriguing. Two prominent Gallinazo sites, (1) Songoy-Cojal situated in the mid-Zaña Valley and (2) Huaca Letrada in the La Leche Valley, provide strong evidence that the pattern endured for several centuries. Might the Lambayeque region hold answers to questions of independent Gallinazo developments and social identity? In this paper, I present new lines of evidence that help to place the northern Gallinazo polity in perspective.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32603