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Dating the Late Archaic occupation of the Norte Chico region in Peru

Nature volume 432, pages 1020–1023 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

The Norte Chico region on the coast of Peru north of Lima consists of four adjacent river valleys—Huaura, Supe, Pativilca and Fortaleza—in which archaeologists have been aware of a number of apparently early sites for more than 40 years (refs 1– 3). To clarify the early chronology in this region, we undertook fieldwork in 2002 and 2003 to determine the dates of occupation of sites in the Fortaleza and Pativilca valleys. Here we present 95 new radiocarbon dates from a sample of 13 of more than 20 large, early sites. These sites share certain basic characteristics, including large-scale monumental architecture, extensive residential architecture and a lack of ceramics. The 95 new dates confirm the emergence and development of a major cultural complex in this region during the Late Archaic period between 3000 and 1800 calibrated calendar years bc. The results help to redefine a broader understanding of the respective roles of agricultural and fishing economies in the beginnings of civilization in South America.

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Figure 1
Figure 2: Late Archaic communal architecture.

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Acknowledgements

Research for this project was supported by the National Science Foundation, the California Community Trust, The Field Museum, and the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies, Northern Illinois University. We thank the Instituto Nacional de Cultura of Lima, Peru and the municipalities of Pativilca, Paramonga and Barranca.

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Author notes

  1. Jonathan Haas, Winifred Creamer and Alvaro Ruiz: These authors contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, The Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, 60605, USA

    Jonathan Haas

  2. Department of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, 60115, USA

    Winifred Creamer & Alvaro Ruiz

Authors
  1. Jonathan Haas
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  2. Winifred Creamer
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  3. Alvaro Ruiz
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Correspondence to Jonathan Haas.

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The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

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Supplementary Data

Data on archaeological finds at various sites, and descriptions of the sites. Information appears as text and tables. (DOC 187 kb)

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Haas, J., Creamer, W. & Ruiz, A. Dating the Late Archaic occupation of the Norte Chico region in Peru. Nature 432, 1020–1023 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03146

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