First Insights into the Life of Menocucho: Results of the Archaeological Excavations at Huaca Menocucho, Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In this paper, the authors will present the results of their first excavation season at Huaca Menocucho, in the Moche Valley on the north coast of Peru, exposing the political, religious, and economic activities carried out by the people who lived at the site. This excavation revealed the site was first occupied during the Initial period (1800–500 BC), followed by a heavy Salinar occupation (400–50 BC), and finally sporadic occupations throughout the Middle Horizon period (AD 650–1000). Investigations also revealed the site's connection with other populations on the coast and in the highlands. The connection with the coast is crucial to consider judging by the number of saltwater shells, fish bones, and a shark tooth found during excavations. The presence of minerals and ceramic fragments with highland styles further demonstrates a connection with the highlands. The authors also will present the first absolute dates of the site, which will solidify the site chronology and corroborate the timeline of the distinct architectural components identified, which are believed to have been built during different time frames. The results of this first excavation will continue to be elaborated upon as excavations are completed in subsequent years.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37036.0