David Chatelain Stone Center Summer Field Research Grant Terminal Report

Ceramic and Lithic Analysis of Sites in the Huaura Valley, Peru

The Summer Field Research grant provided by the Stone Center for Latin

American Studies funded my research in the Huaura Valley of Peru in the summer of

2010. The initial goal of the project for the summer, as outlined in my proposal, was to

excavate the site of Choque Ispana to examine its possible nature as a pilgrimage center

for various groups in the region, with my own research focusing on the site’s causeway.

Excavation, however, was not possible due to lack of sufficient funds for the project under which I was working. However, these changes left more time for laboratory analysis of artifacts from previous excavations at various sites in the Huaura Valley,

including Rontoy and Quipico, which was part of my original research proposal. Lab

work was centered in the town of Huacho in the Huaura province of Peru, about three

hours north of Lima. Visitation of sites throughout the Norte Chico region, as well as the

pilgrimage sites of Pachacamac and Chavín de Huántar, was also achieved in line with

my original proposal.

The principal purpose of the research I conducted this summer was to learn

ceramic analysis techniques through hands-on experience, a necessary skill for my future

dissertation research. The scheduling changes that affected the project actually allowed

more time for me to gain this experience. I assisted Dr. Kit Nelson in analyzing ceramic

paste characteristics, determining vessel forms, distinguishing forms of temper, identifying surface treatments and decorative elements, documenting firing errors and use-wear, and recording dimensional data on each sherd. Through this experience I learned how these material attributes can reveal information about ancient ceramic

production processes, firing methods, and the social correlates of ceramic production and use. I also participated with Dr. Nelson and other Tulane graduate students doing their

dissertation work in Peru in creating an attribute list to standardize future ceramic

analyses for other projects in the valley.

During my time in Peru, I also analyzed many of the lithic artifacts from the

Huaura Valley sites. Most of the lithic assemblages were composed of debitage of low- quality materials, but many hammerstones were also found with clear evidence of use-

wear. Two chipped-stone drills were also found, one with heavy polish from long-term

use. Besides chipped-stone, I sketched and documented several ground-stone manos and

metates, tools typically used for food processing. Some had clear evidence of re-use as

components in a pachamanca, or stone oven, due to the presence of burned grease spots

on their surfaces. They were found in the notable context of a tomb with a mummy

burial, but what possible significance these artifacts may have had in the context of a

burial is difficult to speculate on until further analysis on all the material data from the

tomb is completed. I am currently preparing a report with Dr. Nelson on the lithic

materials from these sites for publication.

I was also able to visit many sites in the Norte Chico region of Peru, including

Acaray, Caral, and the pilgrimage sites of Pachacamac outside of the Norte Chico near

Lima and Chavín de Huántar in the Andean Highlands to the north. These sites include

some of the most influential in all the prehistory of the larger Andean region. Visiting

Pachacamac and Chavín provided me with a valuable first-hand perspective on

pilgrimage sites of ancient Peru, the research focus of the original project for the summer. We also conducted some reconnaissance of possible sites within the valley with some

success.

Overall, the project made great strides toward reconstructing the prehistory of the

Huaura Valley and the Norte Chico region. The experience I gained in analyzing ceramic

artifacts is an invaluable archaeological skill which has greatly expanded my knowledge

and capability to carry out future dissertation research. The extensive archaeological

reconnaissance of sites I was able to conduct during the summer has given me an encouraging perspective on the possibilities for future research. I am grateful to the Stone

Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University for providing me with the funding to carry out this research, which has provided me with further skills and knowledge to conduct my own dissertation work in the future.