Geoarchaeological contributions to the study of the initial settlement of the southern Peruvian Andes

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Geoarchaeology in First Americans Research, Part 1" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Here, we present geoarchaeological results from the sites of Quebrada Jaguay-280 on the Pacific coast and Cuncaicha rock shelter in the high puna. We applied a multi-methodological, micro-contextual approach to inform on site formation processes, evaluate archaeological evidence and dating strategies, and assess site integrity. This site-focused geoarchaeological approach is complemented by regional, landscape-scale understandings of resource availability and use during the initial peopling of the southern Peruvian Andes.

At both sites, the combination of macroscopic observations, microscopic (micromorphological) insights, and elemental (µXRF) and mineralogical (FTIR) analyses allows us to refine our understanding of site formation and human occupation. For both sites, we demonstrate integrity of the deposits, while acknowledging the presence and extent of bioturbation. Both Cuncaicha and QJ-280 exhibit signs of post-depositional processes and pedogenesis – though pedofeatures vary significantly between sites due to their contrasted geographic settings. Anthropogenic features can be analyzed at a resolution that allows us to identify distinct human behaviors, such as combustion practices and dumping.

These geoarchaeological investigations highlight how a micro-contextual approach may yield insights into human behavior, occupation intensity, and paleoclimate signatures, contributing a holistic approach to the study of early peopling of the Andes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Geoarchaeology in First Americans Research, Part 1   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51832