An Archaeometallurgy Study of Metal Fishhooks in Huanchaco: Alloys and Manufacturing Continuities and Changes over Time

Summary

This is an abstract from the "From Ores to Ontologies: Recent Research in South American Archaeometallurgy" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Archaeological excavations at three sites in Huanchaco, North Coast of Peru have yielded a few metal fishhooks associated with the Viru (150/100 B.C. – A.D. 450/500), Moche (A.D. 450/500 – 800/850), Chimu (A.D. 1000/1100 – 1450/1470) and the Inca (A.D. 1450/1470 – 1532) occupations. These metal artifacts were found in domestic and funerary contexts. The maritime nature of the Huanchaco occupations points to the necessity of using metal fishhooks in their daily subsistence activities. Interestingly, the limited number of fishhooks found in Huanchaco suggest a more restricted access by common fishermen, and a higher availability among members of the local elites who used fishhooks for more selective fisheries (i.e. larger fish species). Based on the results of seven metal fishhooks using optic microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy with disperse spectrometry energy and radiographic imagery, we conclude that copper was the preferred metal during all times. However, there are slight differences in the alloys employed within and between societies and time periods, while the manufacturing technique seems to have been the same with a few variances over time. Moreover, our findings suggest that the usage of metal fishhooks was restricted to certain individuals and not all members of maritime communities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• From Ores to Ontologies: Recent Research in South American Archaeometallurgy

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51062