Bone Chemistry at Cerro Oreja: A Stable Isotope Perspective on the Development of a Regional Economy in the Moche Valley, Peru During the Early Intermediate Period

Abstract In this paper we test the hypothesis that an intensification of maize production preceded the development of a regional Moche political economy in the Moche Valley of north coastal Peru during the Early Intermediate period (400 B.C.—A.D. 600). To do so we analyze stable isotopic signatures of 48 bone apatite and 17 tooth enamel samples from human remains recovered from the site of Cerro Oreja, a large urban and ceremonial center in the Moche Valley. These remains date to the Guañape, Salinar, or Gallinazo phases and provide a diachronic picture of subsistence before the appearance of the Southern Moche state. The most notable patterns identified in the study include a lack of significant change in δ 13 C apatite values from the Guañape to Satinar phases, followed by a significant enrichment in δ 13 C apatite values from the Salinar to Gallinazo phases. Several lines of evidence, including archaeological context, dental data, and comparative carbon stable isotope data from experimental animal studies and studies of archaeological human remains support the interpretation that the observed 13 C enrichment in stable isotope values in the Gallinazo phase primarily reflects maize intensification. The stable isotope data from Cerro Oreja thus suggest that a shift in subsistence toward a highly productive and storable crop may have served as an important precursor to state development during the Early Intermediate period in the Moche Valley

Irrigation and the Origins of the Southern Moche State on the North Coast of Peru

In this paper, I examine the role that irrigation played in the formation of the Southern Moche state in the Moche Valley, Peru. Specifically, I attempt to test Wittfogel and Steward's hydraulic model, which postulates that in certain arid environments, the managerial requirements of construction and maintenance of irrigation systems played a crucial role in the formation of centralized polities. I formulate and evaluate four hypotheses concerning the role of irrigation systems in the Moche Valley. Those hypotheses are then evaluated using settlement pattern data drawn from two surveys that cover the entire coastal section of the valley and provide information on 910 archaeological sites. Based on those data, I present a sequence of political development for the valley from the formation of the first autonomous village in the Late Preceramic period (2500–1800 B. C.) to the zenith of the Southern Moche state. Evaluation of the four hypotheses indicates that the managerial requirements of irrigation were relatively unimportant; rather, warfare, highland-coastal interaction, and political control of irrigation systems created opportunities for leaders to form a highly centralized, territorially expansive state sometime between A. D. 200 and 700

Floodwater farming, discontinuous ephemeral streams, and Puebloan abandonment in southwestern Colorado

Geoarchaeological study on the southern piedmont of Sleeping Ute Mountain in southwestern Colorado indicates the presence of discontinuous ephemeral streams that were the foci of episodic Puebloan occupation between A.D. 600s and 1280. Characterized by arroyos, discontinuous ephemeral streams contain alternating aggrading and degrading reaches and are well suited for ak chin floodwater agriculture. Episodic Puebloan abandonment of the southern piedmont correlates with periods of drought but does not appear to be linked to stream entrenchment. We question a priori assumptions of droughts correlated to stream entrenchment and urge caution in the use of drought-arroyo models for settlement shifts in alluvial flood plains without supporting stratigraphic or geomorphic evidence

Effects of Expectancy on Assessing Covariation in Data: “Prior Belief” versus “Meaning”

A large number of researchers have addressed the question of how prior beliefs affect assessment of covariation in new data. Some have suggested that prior beliefs disrupt covariation assessment (Nisbett & Ross, 1980), while others have claimed they help (Wright & Murphy, 1984). Research in this tradition has not consistently distinguished meaningfulness of the data from expectations about the particular relationship between the variables to be assessed. We collected covariance judgments on meaningful variable pairs where subjects had a prior belief in a positive relation, had a prior belief in a negative relation, had a prior belief that the variables are unrelated, or were agnostic about the existence or nature of relation. Subjects rated data with negative, positive, and zero correlations. We evaluated performance in terms of subjects’ ability to discriminate objectively different correlations, rather than simply comparing to a reference statistic, and also on the bias subjects showed. Subjects with no prior belief, with positive beliefs, and with negative beliefs were all reasonably well able to discriminate among different objective correlations. In addition, subjects with no prior belief showed appropriate use of the judgment scale, while those having a positive or negative expectation were biased in the direction of their prior belief. In contrast, subjects with the prior belief that the variables were unrelated showed essentially no discrimination. Our results disconfirm the hypothesis that prior beliefs generally facilitate correlation assessment of summarized data. Judgments of meaningful data were best when subjects were initially agnostic

RESPONSE TO CRITIQUE OF THE CLAIM OF CANNIBALISM AT COWBOY WASH

The original authors of Billman et af. (2000) are joined by three other analysts from the Cowboy Wash research team to respond to the critique of this article by Dongoske et af. (2000). Dongoske and his coauthors state that Billman et af. (2000) failed to test alternative hypotheses or to consider alternative explanations for the findings at 5MTJOOJO and similar sites. The original authors point out that alternative hypotheses were examined and rejected, leaving a violent episode of cannibalism as the most plausible explanation for the remains found at 5MTJOOJO. Dongoske et af. also question many aspects of the osteological, archaeological, coprolite, and biochemical analyses that were presented in the 5MTJOOJO study. Our response addresses issues of data collection, procedure, and interpretation, and attempts to clarify some points that were not fully developed in the original text due to length restrictions. Los autores de Billman et af. (2000) se onen a tres de los analistas que participaron en las investigaciones de Cowboy Wash para responder a la crftica del articulo por Dongoske et al. (2000). Dongoske et al. declaran que Billman et af. no evaluaron hipotesis alternativas, 0 consideraron otras explicaciones respecto a los descubrimientos de 5MTl 001 0 y de sitios semejantes. Los auto res originales responden que hipotesis alternativas para explicar los hallazgos de 5MTJOOJO fueron examinadas y rechazadas, dejando asi un episodio violento de canibalismo como la llnica explicacion posible. Ademas, Dongoske et af. cuestionan varios aspectos de los analisis osteologicos, arqueologicos, coprologicos, y bioquimicos quefueron presentados en el estudio de 5MT100l O. Nuestra respuesta se dirige a preguntas sobre de los datos, procedimientos e interpretaciones, mientras trata de clarificar ciertos puntos que no fueron completamente elaborados en el texto original debido a limitaciones de espacio

MERREMIA SAGASTEGUI-ALVAE (CONVOLVULACEAE): UNA ESPECIE NUEVA CON RA\ucdCES TUBEROSAS DEL NORTE DE PER a

Volume: 24Start Page: 19End Page: 3