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INTERNATIONALPOTATOCENTER ISSN0256-8632 Vol.16,No.3,September1988

ljentroIntema~al d, la Pili Archaeological Remains of Pot~ 10 La MiltiRli. 'i 1'\ f:"t! tnci'-o and Sweet in , :"r",1);I\- ii)-.'")~ Donald Ugent and Linda W. Peterson 1 RihHoterell-- ..

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Fig. 1. Ruins of La: Centinela, situated on the south-central coast of Peru. This large administrative and ritual center served as the capital of the Chincha nation until it was conquered by an invading army of Inca warriors in t!te year A.D. 1476. Although this site remained populated for another S6 years, it was destroyed eventually by the Spanish conquistadores. Today, an abundance of cul- tural artifacts, animal bones, and plant remains lie exposed in left uncovered by sands.

he discovery of archaeological tion of these two crops and their use material in the form of cloth r T. remains of the actual tubers and as primary food sources by Peru's early that occasionallybear woven images of roots of potato and in Peru coastal inhabitants. Preserved remains potato or sweet potato and of ceramic has contributed greatly to our present- unearthed from the refuse heaps, or vessels representing these two crop day knowledge of the ancient distribu- middens, located in the vicinity of plants as as others such as achira, ancient ruins (Fig. 1) as well as samples , , and squash (Sauer, 1951). recovered from ancient tombs and burial The artistic representation of food plants sites have yielded archaeological records in the woven materials and Qf 1 D. Ugent, Ethnobotanist, Department \Jf Botany, that point to the early development of the ancient ; which are artifacts Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois and civilizationin the New of many types and of different cultural 62901; L. W. Peterson, Senior Editor, Interna- . Tombs and burial sites have also tional Potato Center, Apartado 5969, Lima, periods, show us that a crop was in the Peru. proved to be an impo.rtant source of process of development long before its

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first appearance in the archaeological quity-were discovered in middens of record. the age (8000B.C.) at the From these lines of evidence, we can Guitarrero in the highland areas determine that potato and sweet potato of the (Kaplan, were grown together more or less co- 1980;Smith, 1980). extensivelyin the oases of Peru's isolated From the above studies, we learn that coastal river valleys. The of cultiva- man had already domesticated a number tion extended as far north as the Casma of plant by the end of the last ~ Valley in the Department of Ancash, to Ice Age, including tuber and root crops the more southerly coastal of , such as potato and sweet potato. Today, in the Department of lea, with the the preservedremainsof thesetwo food sweet potato having an additional range sources found in the Chilca furnish of cultivation southeast to the area of us with clues as to the importance of (Fig. 2). these crops in the Peruvian coastal area The oldest known samples of potato as early as 10,000years ago, at a time and sweet potato, dating to the when climatic and environmental condi- Period (and perhaps to the end of the tions worldwide were very different from last Ice Age, or 8000 B.c. according to what they are today. , Engel), were discovered in caverns at Chilca , in the south-central area of coastal Peru (Engel, 1970). These Climatic and Geological highland caves, known locally as "Tres Setting Ventanas," are located 65 km southeast of Lima at an altitude of 2800 meters. Just prior to the time when the Chilca Archaeological remains of other Peru- Canyon crops were being grown, vast vian crop plants such as the common ice sheets covered large tracts of North , , pepper, oca, and America and northern Europe. The olluc~also known to be of great anti- central and southern parts of South

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100 200 300 400 miles ~ ~ pJ 200 400 600 km

I Casma t i Ancon

Lima"'" t Chilca

La Centinela Paracas

Ocucaje Nazca

. Potato [J Sweet potato

Fig. 2. Distribution of prehistoric potato (e) and sweet potato (0) remains on the coast of Peru. 2 ~ America, including the Andean high- central coastline of (Ugent et a genus to the fertile kitchen middens of lands, were glaciated, with ice extending aI., 1984, 1986). Toward the end of the a campsite, a series of hybrid wild forms down the of Peru to an Pleistocene (ca. 8000 B.c.), much of the may have eventually arose, which were altitude of approximately 3000 meters Peruvian coastal area was covered by a later gathered up by man and taken (Simpson, 1975;Vuilleumier, 1971). vast grassy savanna with intermittent from one campsite to another; or these Most of the areas where potatoes are groups of woody areas. Fossils of extinct forms may have migrated naturally along grown today in the Peruvian highlands mastodons, horses, and camelids have a network of trails connecting the dif- were not available for potato cultiva- been found in this region, indicatingthat ferent sites. When it came time.for tion during the. close of the Pleistocene the savanna once provided abundant for- the deliberate planting of crops, these glacial epoch, or the last Ice Age-the age for herds of large animals. weedy, ubiquitous, "camp follower" end of which corresponds to the era of races were ready for their final stages incipient agriculture in the , of . 8000-6000B.c. Theseareaswere either covered with a thick mantle of snow The Pre-AgriculturalAge and ice or were in the process of being By the time of the melting of the great Era of IncipientAgricuLture gradually warmed and exposed. How- ice sheets, man was already widely set- ever, the maritime zone and the middle tled along the western coast of South During the early post-glacial period, and lower western slopes of the Cen- America. According to Lanning (1970), patterns of human subsistence were tral were probably available there are about 18 archaeological Pleis- changing from economies based on hunt- for human occupation since preglacial tocene sites known from the northern ing and fishing to those based on plant times. and western coasts of . and animal domestication. A rapid During the Late Pleistocene, the These are distributed from growth in human population along the shoreline of Peru was situated further to to southern . In Peru, Pleistocene western coastline of South America, the west than it is today. In this respect, sites occur at Ancon (8500 B.c.; Lan- coupled with the gradually increasing it is interesting to note that the growth ning, 1965), Cerro Chivateros in the aridity of the climate and a decline in of the glacial ice sheets across the north- Chillon Valley (12,000 B.c.; Lanning the availability of natural resources, may ern and southern polar regions of the and Patterson, 1967), Chilca Canyon have all had their effect in persuading earth consumed so much ocean water by (8800 B.c.; Engel, 1970), Flea Cave in a hungry populace to engage in the ,. evaporation that sea levels throughout the Department of (12,200 deliberate planting of food crops. These the world dropped by nearly 100 meters B.c.; MacNeish, 1970), and Guitarrero developments led ultimately to the con- (Richardson, 1973, 1981). In Peru, the Cave in the Department of Ancash struction of large urban centers along lowering of the ocean level had the (10,500 B.c.; Lynch, 1980). the north-central Peruvian coast and effect of exposing portions of the conti- Two sites that predate the last glacial the founding of the formal rudiments nental shelf, thus the southern coastal advance are also known for South of art, , and science. Similar beaches extended some 10 km further America. One of these, Monte Verde happenings were also occurring at this to the west and the northern coastal in south-central Chile, dates to 31,000 time in the Old World, most notably beaches more than 100 km west of B.c. (Dillehay and Collins, 1988);while in Mesopotamia, Eygpt, the Indus Val- the present-day shoreline. Therefore, the other, in northeast- ley, and . These advancements, archaeological sites found today on the ern , goes back to 30,000 B.c. however, never occurred among the coast were located much further inland (Guidon and Delibrias, 1986). The primitive, nomadic tribes of the equato- during glacial times than they appear to radiographic evidence obtained.recently rial rainforests of the world, including be in the present. Moreover, sites that for Toca da Esperan<;a,another site with the Amazon region of South America. were situated directly along the coast in several caves in northeastern Brazil In this region, disease, , and the Late Pleistocene are now submerged (Lumley et aI., 1988), suggests that warfare were the factors most responsi- under more than 100 meters of the man may have populated that part of ble for keeping human populations in . ~ South America at some period between check, and since wild plant foods and Another change that affected the 204,000and 295,000years ago (Middle game were normally available, there was coastal area during the Late Pleistocene Pleistocene). no special need for triba~members to was a change in the coastal cliJ:nate, The dwellersof the Pleistocenecoastal- take on the extra work involved in the caused partly by the lowering of the savanna lands in Peru probably made deliberate planting, weeding, harvesting, ocean level and partly by a shift west- use of the several wild relatives of the and storage of vegetable crops. ward in the normal directional flow of potato and sweet potato that are still With the dawn of agriculture in South the , which today nor- known from the moister river valleys America, the wild species of potato mally flows north and south parallel to scattered along the coast. Like their and sweet potato that were formerly the coasts of Chile and Peru. With the fellow landsmen at Monte Verde, Chile, gathered from the upper river valleys outward.movement of this cold current, who were known to be harvesting and and ancient savanna lands of coastal an increase in precipitation occurred on using wild coastal potatoes (Solanum Peru were now being grown purposefully the western edges of the South Amer. maglia) as early as 13,000 years ago by early man in the first primitive small ican continent. This change in climate (Ugent et aI., 1987), the people of the fields and garden plots. This development appeared to be more radical in the Peruvian savanna lands were primarily probably occurred over a wide area of northern part of Peru's coastal area-than plant gatherers, hunters, and fishermen. the western coast of South America. in the south. The campsites of pre-agricultural man Thus, the domestication of potato and The vegetation covering the northern may have been the areas where the pro- sweet potato over the course of time coast of Peru during immediate post- cess of plant domestication first began may have involved somewhat different glacial times was probably similar to (Ugent, 1970). Through the introduction but related wild ancestral stocks, which that which occurs today along the south- of two or more related wild species of would have been cultivated at different 3 coastal localities and elevations, and at somewhat different prehistoric times. Later, as the ice sheets and glaciers retreated, the prototypes of our modern Andean pota-

toes were introduced into the newly ... ~ developed, highland agricultural areas, ..... - where, as a result of their subsequent intermixing, intercrossing, and poly- ploidization, these prototypes merged at several chromosomal levels to form our present-day cultigens. On the other hand, the early coastal cultivars of the sweet potato found their way to the rainforests of South Am6rica. In these warm, lowland regions, the sweet potato underwent further varietal differentia- tion, and in time, the intermixing and intercrossing of these original lines led I I to the formation of a highly complex I cultigen. Following the end of the Ice Age, the climate of the Peruvian coast became ! increasinglymore arid, and by 4000 B.c., the present-day limits of the desert were reached (Bender, 1975; Sarma, 1974).The potato and sweet potato cultigens of the old savanna lands, however, continued to be culti- vated in the moist river valleys and irri- gated oases of the region. These small agricultural enclaves, as pointed out by Ugent et al. (1984, 1986), are of more than casual interest to us today, for within their narrow boundaries are pre- served an important, partial record of the past.

Figs. 3 and 4. Top: View of the Pampa de las -Moxeke site in the Casma Archaeological Plant Valley of Peru. The site is dominated by two large mounds, separated by a distance of Remains 1.5 km. Bottom: The authors surveying the low, rocky mounds of a dwelling site at and Sites Pampa de las Llamas, where potato remains have been found. In the background is In the following sections, a brief sum- Huaca A. According to archaeologists Thomas and Shelia Pozorski, the walled cham- mary is presented of the major archae- bers that stood on this mound in prehistoric times were used for the storage of pota- toes, sweet potatoes, and other root crops. ological sites where ancient remains of potato and sweet potato have been unearthed in Peru. Over half of the sites were explored jointly by the authors the Andes rise steeply, forming deep potatoes have been collected along the (Ugent and Peterson) in expeditions ravines with rivers gushing down through north-central coast of Peru are in the undertaken in 1987and 1988;whereas valleys and across the desert plain to Casma Valley, located 360 km north of several others were studied indepen- empty out into the Pacific Ocean. It is Lima. Three of the Casma Valley sites, dently by the first author during visits to here in these river valleys scattered Pampa de las Llamas, Huaynuma, and Peru in 1962, 1973, and 1985. along the coast that one finds the lush, Tortugas, have yielded specimens of For the average traveler, a trip along green oases where Peru's early inhabit- both sweet potato and potato, while the the desert coastline of Peru can be an ants first settled. This coastal area, fourth site, Las Haldas, has yielded only adventure in itself. The present-day however, takes on a special air of sig- potatoes. coast is a narrow, arid strip of barren nificance for the botanical explorer inter- One of the more impressive ruins in land, stretching some 2250 km and ested in the origins of potato and sweet the Casma Valley is situated at Pampa receiving less than an average of one potato, as it is here among the many de las Llamas (Fig. 3). This Early centimeter of rain annually. Between prehistoric ruins and middens of this Ceramic site, which dates from the Initial the ocean and the mountains lie endless region that one of the oldest and most Period (1800-1500B.c.), is located expanses of desert plain covered with complete archaeologicalrecords of plant inland on the Moxeke branch of the Rio dry, rocky pampa, majestic sand , domestication in the world has been laid Casma. It covers an area of about 220 and high ocean cliffs, witp intermittent, down and remarkably preserved. hectares and includes two large mounds broad, sandy beaches and tiny rock- Casma Valley. The principle sites plus an extensive area of small mounds protected bays. From this coastal shelf, where archaeological potatoes and sweet and homesites. According to archae- 4 ologists Thomas and SheIia Pozorski (1986), the two principal excavators of the site, the larger of the two mounds was probably used for administrative- religious purposes, while the smaller one probably functioned as a storehouse for the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other crops that were being grown in a nearby, irrigated oasis. The settlement itself was built on dry desert sands. Potatoes are well represented in the heaps that the ancient homesites at Pampa de las Llamas (Ugent et aI., 1982, 1983) (Fig. 4). Most of the dried potato samples that have been retrieved from this area are fairly small, ranging between 1 and 2 cm in size (Fig. 5). The tubers are typically round or ellipsoid in shape and have shallow eyes and smooth skin. Some show signs of being infected with scab and late blight disease. Samples of sweet potatoes from Pampa de las Llamas, though represented mostly by broken ends and pieces, are generally of larger size than the extant potato collections. Most fragments range between 2 and 4 cm long, but whole specimens less than 2 cm in length have been reported (Ugent et aI., 1981). Some root samples from Pampa de las Llamas were damaged by tunnel-forming beetles, and some beetle borings still contain remains of the dead insect pests. The potatoes and sweet potatoes of this site were probably prepared by baking around the periphery of an open fire. Figs. 5 and 6. Top: A 3500-year-old potato tuber from Pampa de Many have charred or partially charred las LIamas-Moxeke in the Casma Valley. As seen in the lower skin, and some still have small fragments left-hand cOmer of the photograph, a portion of the dried cortex of charcoal embedded in the skin or has been exposed as a result of natural shrinkage and breakage in the exposed cortex. These roots of the tuber skin. Salt crystals have also accumulated in the and tubers were eaten along with a other broken areas and lesions of the skin. Internally, the starchy wide variety of wild game and seafood, cortex remains in near perfect condition. Bottom: Scanning elec- the bones and shells of which are of tron micrograph of a compound, sweet potato starch grain (- common occurrence in the middens palladium coated: 2000 x). This sample was obtained from one of of this site. the prehistoric roots that was unearthed at the Initial Period site (1800-1500 B.C.) of Pampa de las Llamas by the Pozorskis. The Other edible plant species that occur number, size, and shape of the small granules that comprise the in the middens of Pampa de las Llamas larger starch grain are characteristics of this species. include , cansaboca, common bean, lima bean, edible , lucuma, manioc, , pepper, and turban site has been either destroyed or over- for fisfiingoperations. Trade between squash. In addition, theeancient inhab- lain by modern villag~construction, an the two villages, one located inland itants of this site are known to have area of undisturbed midden over one arid the other ocean-side, would thelt cultivated and bottle gourds. meter deep was discovered a few years account for the presence of marine Due to the extreme aridity of the site, ago by the Pozorskis. Samples from this resources at Pampas de Las Llamas and the preservation of plant parts at Pampa midden were later sent to Ugent at agricultural products at Tortugas. de las Llamas has been excellent. This Southern Illinois University for analysis. Other crop plants found in the midden has facilitated the study of both the A total of seven potato tubers and at Tortugas include avocado, bottle externaLmorphology of ancient potatoes eight sweet potato roots were unearthed gourd, cansaboca, common bean, lima and sweet potatoes, and their vascular at the Tortugas-excavations. All are bean, cotton, guava, lucuma, manioc, anatomy and starch grains (Fig. 6). similar in shape and form to the collec- peanuts, and turban squash. Another'area of archaeologicalinterest tions from-Pampa de las Llamas and One of the least conspicuous ruins in in the Casma Valley is Tortugas. This were probably originally grown at that the Casma Valley is Huaynuma. This Early Ceramic site lies 20 km~north of site. Since fresh water for is Preceramic (ca. 2000 B,c.) coastal site the city of Casma on a bay overlooking not available at Tortugas, it is probable is located on a small protected bay just the ocean. Although much of the original that this site was used mainly as a base a few kilometers north of the previously 5 by the Pozorskis from test pits dug into the middens of this site. This material was sent to Southern Illinois University where it was later identified to species level by Ugent. The above samples of potato and sweet potato from Huaynuma are the most northerly known for these two species. In addition, these specimens are of interest to science as they represent the oldest-known archaeological collec- tions of potato and sweet potato from the north coast. Other crop plants that appear in the broad mantle of midden at Huaynuma include bottle gourd, cotton, edible canna, lucuma, pepper, fig-leaf gourd and turban squash. The fourth place of interest in the Casma Valley is Las Haldas. This large and impressive coastal site, located about 30 km south of Casma, covers forty hectares. It is situated on top of a high seaside cliff with a panoramic view of the ocean and includes a large temple mound overlooking a central plaza with a sunken circular arena, as well as extensive areas of midden. Although sweet potato has not yet ". been recovered from Las Haldas, three small potato tubers were unearthed by the Pozorskis from an Initial Ceramic Period (1600-1200B.c.) midden at the temple site. These were included among the various plant remains that were later forwarded to Ugent for analysis. Other crop remains associated with the above-mentioned potato specimens include avocado, bottle gourd, common bean, corn, cotton, edible canna, guava, pacae, lucuma, manioc, peanut, and turban squash. As in the case of the two fishing village sites of Tortugas and Huaynuma, fresh water was also not available for crop irrigation at Las Haldas. It is possible that the original inhabitants made a living by exchanging marine products for vegetable goods. The presence of abundant shells, fish bones, and sea remains, as well as crop plants in the Las Haldas middens, would seem to support that theory. and Ancon. Heading south from Las Haldas toward Lima, described ruin and 13 km north of fresh water streams available for the irri- one comes across two other famous the Casma Valley. Although no large gation of vegetable crops near the site, archaeological sites, Paramonga and mounds or above-ground are visible it would appear that the harvesting of Ancon, located along the Panamerican at Huaynuma, an ashy-gray mantle of marine resources was the chief activity . The first mentioned site, midden, about 2 meters deep in places, of its early inhabitants. As in the case Paramonga, lies in a broad, fertile, is spread across the dry, light-colored of Tortugas, the residents of Huaynuma irrigated valley some 185 km north of sands for an area of about three hectares. Lima. This site, which contains a Chimu II probablyobtainedfood and fiberplants In addition to plant material, the by trading marine goods inland along temple (Chimu culture, A.D. 1000- I midden layer at Huaynuma contains a the Casma Valley. Six potato tubers and 1470) set on a fortress-like mound, may large assortment of shells and fish and one sweet potato root were among the have served its ancient inhabitants as marine animal bones. Since there are no various plant remains that were retrieved an administrative-religiouscenter and i 6 ~ fortress. However, as the ruins in this area have never been excavated, our many questions concerning the lives of E u the people who once lived here and the ,.. plants that they cultivated still remain unanswered. On~ of the last coastal urban centers that one sees from the Panamerican Highway prior to entering Lima from the north is the modern seaside village of Ancon. Just to the east of this resort town is situated an ancient burial ground called the Necropolis. These burial grounds, dating from the Late Inter- mediate Period (A.D. 1000-1500),were in turn situated near the site of an ancient fishing village and the fertile fields of the Chillon Valley. The ceme- Fig. 7. Potato tuber from the ruins of Pachacamac. This wholly tery itself was excavated in the late intact specimen, collected by the first author from the Late Inca Period midden that the Temple of the Sun, owes its excep- 1800sby two German archaeologists, tional preservation to the extreme aridity of the site. and Alphons Stiibel (1800-87).They found numerous plant offerings interred with the mummified remains of the original inhabitants. One of the cultigens discovered in this manner, according to botanist Ludwig Wittmack (1880-87),who was responsi- ble for the identification of the Ancon

," plant collections, was the sweet potato. Other crops identified by Wittmack as occurring in this same collection were I bottle gourd, common bean, guava, lucuma, maize, manioc, pacae, peanuts, I .- , soap berry, and turban and crookneck squash. Specimens of sweet potato dating from the Late Cotton Preceramic period (1900- 0 1 2cm 1750B.C.) have also been discovered at 1 1 Punta Grande in the Chillon Valley, as well as from the Late Cotton Preceramic Fig. 8. Dried sweet potato root from the Temple of the Sun site and Early Ceramic levels of the Tank at Pachacamac. As in the case of many other root samples of this site (Cohen, 1978;Lanning, 1965, 1967; species that have been unearthed from kitchen middens, the cortex MacNeish et aI., 1975;Patterson, 1971; and skin of this Late Inca Period (A.D. 1400-1532) specimen of the sweet potato have been bored through by beetles. Patterson and Moseley, 1968). The first author of this paper recently had the opportunity to examine addi- tional plant materials that were asso- valley. This late Inca ruin (A.D. 1000- Tubers examined by Towle (1961) and ciated with the mummified human 1500)overlies earlier ruins, and includes Ugent et al. (1982) also confirm the remains studied by Reiss and Stiibel, two large mounds, the Temple of the existence of the potato at Pachacamac but which were not reported upon by Sun and the Temple of Pachacamac, (Fig. 7) and point to the relatively high Wittmack. These collections, stored at as well as numerous smaller mounds, stage of domestication that was obtained the fUrVolkerkunde, residential structures, and administrative in the plants of that era (as deduced include a number of economicallyuseful buildings, some of which are currently from their large, rounded starch grains). wild species (such as willow, calla brava, undergoing restoration and further A single, whole sweet potato root nectandra, tillandsia, and vilfa grass), excavation. collected by Ugent at Pachacamac in ,as well as cotton and papaya, two Potato tubers were first discovered in 1973had been riddled by beetles, but crop species that had been overlooked the extensive middens of Pachacamac by was otherwise found to have a cortex previously. the German archaeologist, . that was preserved in nearly perfect con- Pachacamac. South of Lima there These were described by Harshberger dition (Fig. 8). The starch granules of occur four sites where archaeological (1898) as being comparable in size to this 6-cm long root are similar in size potatoes have been found, and five anyone of a number of modern wild and shape to those produced by the where ancient sweet potatoes have been potato species. Harshberger, however, modern sweet potato. collected(seemap). One of thesesites, made no allowance for shrinkage, which Other crop plants known from the Pachacamac, is situated 31 km south of is an important matter in evaluating extensive middens of this site include Lima on a bluff top with an expansive tuber remains, since potatoes are typi- bottle gourd, common bean, lima bean, view of the ocean and the Lurfn river cally comprised of 80% to 90% water. peanut, maize, pepper, and cotton. 7 Chilca Canyon. Southeast of Pachacamac and 65 km south of Lima lies the next site where the remains of both potato and sweet potato have been discovered-the caverns of Chilca Canyon. According to Engel (1970), the cave sites at Tres Ventanas were occupied as early as 8000B.c. Excava- tion of the lowest levels of one of the caverns at Tres Ventanas has yielded samples of the cultivated potato (Ugent et aI., 1982), sweet potato, olluco, jicama, bottle gourd, and prickly pear. If the stratigraphy of this site is accu- rate, the specimens collected by Engel represent the oldest remains of these economically important plants presently known to science. Engel's methodology, however, has been criticized by Bonavia (1984). La Centinela. Other remains of the potato and sweet potato have been dis- Fig. 9. Midden deposit at La Centinela. The dark, organic layer that is exposed along the periphery of this pit dates from the Chincha Period (ca. A.D. 1000). It contains a variety of covered recently by the authors at La plant parts, including dried avocado fruits, bean seeds, potato tubers, sweet potato roots, and Centinela, a pre-Inca ruin located about the ears and husks of maize. 200 km south of Lima in the lower part of the fertile Chincha Valley. This site covers an area of thirty hectares and is surrounded by an irrigated agricultural of the corn plant, peanut shells, and of the finest examples of the art of zone that extends from the western side lima , as well as and -making that are known to the of La Centinela down to the Pacific guinea pig bones. All were contained in world. Tello (Nordenskiold, 1931) shoreline, about one kilometer in dis- a large, 30-cm thick midden located in reported that dried sweet potato roots tance (seeFig. 1). The ruin consistsof a deep test pit near the base of one of were discovered at the Paracas Necropolis 11 major, clearly defined struc- the large pyramid structures. during his excavations of the under- tures and other minor buildings that Four of the twelve corn-cobs that we ground burial chambers. These grave are supported by thick walls of adobe collected at the above midden were sent offerings were found in association with construction. According to Menzel and to Beta Analytic Inc. (Coral Gables, a wide variety of other crop and eco- Rowe (1966) and Santillana (1984), Florida) for radiocarbon dating. The nomically useful plants, including ahipa, the relatively late Inca structures that results of this contractual work, funded algae, cat-tail, calla brava, , common dominate this ruin overlie construction by a grant from the International Potato bean, cotton, gourd, maize, manioc, that dates back to the Kingdom of Center, indicate that the contents of pacae, peanut, pepper, and reeds and Chincha (ca. A.D. 1000-1476),which this midden were deposited about 880 sedges. was an economically prosperous coastal (:i:80) years ago. This date corresponds Although no general collecting of society prior to its conquest by the Incas to the period of the Chincha tradition plant remains was undertaken by the in the late fifteenth century. at La Centinela. Although the discovery writers in their visit to the Paracas Several potato samples were unearthed of potato and sweet potato remains at Necropolis in March 1988, two corn- from a midden at this site (Fig. 9) by La Centinela adds to our general knowl- cobs complete with dark purple-colored the authors. The largest sample is a edge of the distribution and variation of kernels were retrieved from the surface skinned, half-tuber portion weighing both crop plants in prehistoric times, sands of the site. One sample weighing 3.48 g. This piece measures 21 by 25 mm these facts would seem to hold special 17 g was sent to Beta Analytic Inc. of at its semi-circularcut end, and 12 mm meaning for the potato-for La Centi- Coral Gables, Florida, for radiocarbon from end to end. The two sweet potato nela is the most southerly known site dating. This subsequently proved to be samples that were unearthed from this along the coast of Peru where this 2390(:i:120) years old. The remaining same midden weighed 0.89 g and 1.05 g. species is known to have been utilized sample (19.7 g), one kernel of which The smaller was about 30 mm long and for food in ancient times. was taken for use in a scanning electron about 12 mm in diameter at its widest PaTacas. Fifty kilometers due south microscope (SEM) study of starch grains, - point, while the larger was 37 mm long of La Centinela lies the Paracas Penin- is now housed in the economic botany and about 13 mm in diameter at its sula, which provides shelter for the collection at Southern Illinois University. widest point. Both roots were riddled Bay of Paracas on the northern side of As in the case of the previous radio- with beetle borings. the peninsula. It is here in this desert carbon dating for La Centinela, the In addition to the remains of the peninsula, overlooking the bay, where funding for the present investigation was potato and sweet potato, the authors the Paracas Necropolis is located. This graciously provided by a grant from the also found signs of a number of other burial site is well known for its walled, International Potato Center. plant, animal, and marine resources underground tombs and well-preserved Ocucaje and Nazca. The last two that were being used by the inhabitants remains of bundles. Beauti- sites where archaeologicalsweet potatoes of La Centinela. These include the fully made ceramic vessels have been have been discovered are found inland leaves, husks, inflorescences, and cobs unearthed at Paracas, as well as some from the Paracas Peninsula. The first is 8 Ocucaje in the Ica Valley, about 335 km and may ultimately serve us in a prac- Museum Sci. Art 1:1-4, Univ. Penn- from Lima; the second, in the tical way through the breeding of better sylvania, Philadelphia. Nazca Valley, is situated 100 km further crops. Herrera, F. L. 1939. Catalogo Alfabe- to the south. Towle (1961) reports that Lastly, it should be pointed out that tico de los Nombres Vulgares y Cien- dried sweet potato roots have been found the field of archaeologicalcrop explora- tificos de Plantas que Existen en el in grave sites at Ocucaje (A.D. 1-600), tion is still in its infancy. Much remains Peru. Lima: La Universidad de together with offerings of guava, lima to be done with respect to the dating, San Marcos. 363 p. bea~, maize, pacae, peanut, and squash. collecting, and identification of cultivar Even more extensive, however, is the list remains from coastal Peru, and espe- Kaplan, L. 1980. Variation in the of useful plants and cultigens recovered cially from the ruins situated in the cultivated beans. In T. F. Lynch from middens surrounding the ruins of extreme northern or southern (ed.), . New York: Cahuachi (750 B.C.-A.D. 1). According of the country. With the obtaining of an Academic Press. additional data set on the distribution to Towle, the archaeologicalrecord of Lanning, E. P. 1965. Early man in Peru. this area includes all of the above and genetic variations of the potato and Sci. Amer. 213:68-76. species plus achote, algarroba, avocado, sweet potato in ancient times, scientists cholloco, common bean, cotton, edible may come to a greater understanding of Lanning, E. P. 1967. Peru Before the canna, gourd, and manioc. Cahuachi, at how these two crop plants, which are Incas. New : Prentice-Hall. present, is the most southernly known of worldwide importance today, evolved Lanning, E. P. 1970. Pleistocene man in site where archaeological specimens of under the selective and protective influ- South America. World Archaeol. 2: sweet potato have been collected. ences of man. 90-111. These findings could also tell us some- thing about crop management for the Lanning, E. P. and T. C. Patterson. Opportunities for Future future. For example, the discovery of 1967. Early man in South America. Research disease- material of ancient potato Sci. Amer. 217(5):44-50. and sweet potato in specific geographic Lumley, H. de, M. A. de Lumley, M. Few studies, to date, have been made areas might indicate that natural biologi- Beltrao, Y. Yokoyama, J. Labeyrie, on prehistoric remains of potato and cal control mechanisms were operating, J. Danon, G. Delibrias, C. Falgueres sweet potato. And yet, probably no or that the farmers themselves in some and J. L. Bischoff. 1988. Decouverte .' other field of investigation promises areas were using better methods of crop d'outils tailles associes a des faunes du to reveal so much with respect to the management. A statistical survey con- Pleistocene moyen dans la Toca da botany and horticulture of these two ducted on archaeologicalmaterials recov- Esperan<;a,Etat de Bahia, Bresil. crops. In particular, the pathogens ered from various sites drawn from both C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 306(2):241-247. that attacked these ancient food plants the north and south should be examined. These organisms would give us some indication of areas Lynch, T. F. (ed.). 1980. Guitarrero Cave. New York: Academic Press. have experienced a history of more than where the crops were subjected to dif- 4000years of mutation following their ferential pest and disease pressures. MacNeish, R. S. 1970. Megafauna and appearance at these prehistoric agricul- man from Ayacucho, highland Peru. tural sites. A study of these ancient Science 168:975~977. pathogens could give us a better idea of References MacNeish, R. S., T. C. Patterson and their early development and perhaps a C. L. Browman. 1975. The central clue as to their primordial states. Bender, B. 1975. Farming in . Many of the tubers and tuberous roots London: Baker. Peruvian interaction sphere. Papers that have been studied by the first of R.S. Peabody Foundation for Bonavia, D. 1984. La importancia de los , Vol. 7, Andover, Mas- author show damage from blight, and restos de papas y camotes de epoca sachusetts. some still preserve internal networks of preceramica hallados en el Valle de hyphae. Virus, nematode, scab, and Casma. J. Societe des Americanistes Menzel, D. and J. H. Rowe. 1966. The insect damage are other areas of role of Chincha in late pre-Spanish (Paris) 70:7-20. research that have not been investigated Peru. Nawpa Pacha 4:63-76. i1 previously. Knowledge of these ancient Cohen, M. N. 1978. Archaeological Nordenskiold, E. 1931. Origin of the diseases and pests may prove helpful in plant rem~ins from the central coast Indian civilizationsof South America. finding better ways of dealing with their of Peru. Nawpa Pacha 16:23-50. modern counterparts. Comparative Ethnographical Studies Dillehay, T. D. and M. B. Collins. Still another area of investigation that (Goteborg) 9:1-76. 1988. Early cultural evidence from is currently awaiting study concerns the Monte Verde in Chile. Nature Patterson, T. C. 1971. Central Peru: its phylogenetic relationships of the cul- 332:150-152. population and economy. Archaeology tivars. The same electrophoretic methods (New York) 24:307-315. that are now being used to identify the Engel, F. A. 1970. Explorations of Patterson, T. C. and M. E. Moseley. proteins of the modern cultivars could the Chilca Canyon, Peru. Current 1968. Late preceramic and early also be extended easily to cover the Anthropol. 11:55-58. ceramic cultures of the central coast relationships of their more primitive ancestral stocks. Additional data could Guidon, N. and G. Delibrias. 1986. of Peru. Nawpa Pacha 6:115-133. Carbon-14 dates point to man in the also be derived from DNA analysis. Pozorski, S. and T. Pozorski. 1986. The information derived in this manner 32,000 years ago. Nature 321:769-771. Recent excavations at Pampa de las may be useful in gaining a better under- Llamas-Moxeke, a complex Initial standing of the botanical origins and Harshberger, J. W. 1898. Uses of plants Period site in Peru. J. Field Archaeol. gene structure of our modern cultivars among the ancient Peruvians. Bull. 13:381-401. 9 "7

Reiss, W. and A. Stiibe\. 1880-87.The Missouri Botanical Garden Bull. Ugent D., S. Pozorski and T. Pozorski. Necropolis of Ancon in Peru. 3 Vols. 39(9):187-194. 1983. Restos arqueologicos de tubercu- New York, London, and Berlin. los de papas y camotes del Valle de Simpson, B. B. 1975. Pleistocene Casma en el Peru. Bo\. Lima 25:1-17. Richardson, J. B., III. 1973. The pre- changes in the flora of the high tropi- ceramic sequence and the Pleistocene cal Andes. Paleobiology 1:273-294. Ugent D., S. Pozorski and T. Pozorski. and Post-Pleistocene climate of north- 1984. New evidence for ancient culti- Smith, C. E., Jr. 1980. Plant remains west Peru. In D. W. Lathrap and vation of Canna edulis in Peru. Econ. from Guitarrero Cave. In T. F. Lynch Bot. 38:417-432. J. Douglas (eds.), Variations in (ed.), Guitarrero Cave. New York: : Essays in Honor of Academic Press. Ugent D., S. Pozorski and T. Pozorski. John C. McGregor. Ann Arbor, 1986. Archaeological manioc (Mani- Michigan: Braun-Brumfield. Terrel, E. E. 1977. A Checklist of Names for 3000 Vascular Plants of hot) from coastal Peru. Econ. Bot. 40:78-102. Richardson, J. B. 1981. Modeling the Economic Importance. U.S.D.A. Agri- development of sedentary maritime cultural Handbook, No. 505. Vuilleumier, B. S. 1971. Pleistocene economies on the coast of Peru. Ann. changes in the fauna and flora of Carnegie Mus. 50:139-150. Towle, M. A. 1961. The ethnobotany of South America. Science 173:771- pre-Columbian Peru. Chicago, Illinois: 780. Sagastegui Alva, A. 1973. Manual de Viking Fund Pub\. Anthropo\., No. 30. las Malezas de la Costa Norperuana. Weberbauer, A. 1945. El Mundo Trujillo, Peru: Talleres Gnificos de la Ugent, D. 1970. The potato. Science 170: 1161-1166. Vegetal de los Andes Peruanos, Estu- Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. dio FitogeogrMico. Lima: Estacion Santillana, J. I. 1984. La Centinela: Ugent, D., T. D. Dillehay and C. Experimental Agricola de La Molina, un asentamiento inka-chincha rasgos Ramirez. 1987. Potato remains from Direccion de Agricultura Ministerio de arquitectonicos estatales y locales. a Late Pleistocene settlement in south- Agricultura. central Chile. Econ. Bot. 41:17-27. Arqueologia y Sociedad (10):13-22. Wittmack, L. 1880-87.Plants and fruits. Lima, Peru: Universidad Nacional Ugent, D., S. Pozorski and T. Pozorski. In W. Reiss and A. Stiibel, The Mayor San Marcos. 1981. Prehistoric remains of the sweet Necropolis of Ancon in Peru, Vo\. 3, Sarma, A. V. N. 1974. Holocene potato fr~'mthe Casma Valley of Pt. 13. New York, London, and paleoecology of south coastal Ecua- Peru. Phytologia 49:401-415. Berlin. ""-' dor. Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 118: Ugent D., S. Pozorski and T. Pozorski. Yacovleff, E. and F. L. Herrera. 1934. 93-134. EI mundo vegetal de los antiguos 1982. Archaeological potato tuber '. Sauer, J. D. 1951. Crop plants of remains from the Casma Valley of peruanos. Rev. Museo Nacional ancient Peru modelled in pottery. Peru. Econ. Bot. 36:182-192. (Lima) 3:241-322;4:29-102.

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the following PRECODEPA countries: , Dominican , , , and . A Colombian and two Bolivian scientists, in for training in seed produc- tion, attended the second week of the TrainingCoursesHeld 1988. Nineteen scientists from ten Latin course, which dealt with breeding and American countries, and six CIAT and screening for resistance to the major ~is- Region I-A Workshop on Improving one CIP staff shared experiences and eases and pests, and adaptation of the the Ability to Diagnose Production Sys- exchanged information on the diagnosis potato to warm climates. tems of Root and Tuber Crops was of field-level problems. Participants were Region III-An in-countryPotato organized by CIAT and held at Car- then divided into three groups to study SeedProductionCoursewasheld at the tagena, , 12-16, to production, processing, and marketing, Holetta Research Center in' Ethiopia, bring together cassava, sweet potato, and to do practical field work. Each 23-26. Thirty-five participants and potato researchers who have partici- group prepared conclusions and recom- attended from eleven different organiza- pated in integrated production-utilization mendations from their field study for tions, including government ministries, projects or who are just beginning field- discussion by the entire workshop group. Alenaya University, agriculturatcolleges, level diagnostic work. This workshop The participants stated a need for and a farmers' training.center., was a CIAT-CIP activity within Joint training in methods of data collection, Region IV~A one-week courseotl Activity No.3-Training on Farm-level sampling, data analysis, and the inter- Potato'SeedProductionand Storage Diagnostic Skills-of the CIAT-CIP- pretation of research results. wasorganizedby the Turkish'-national IITA project on Human Resource Region II-A Germplasm Manage- potato program and held -19 I Development for National-Level Genera- ment Course, organized in Mexico by at the Aegean Regional Agricultural tion and Transfer of Root and Tuber the PRECODEPA country network and Research Institute,~Menemen, Izmir, I Crop , funded by the United financed by CIP, took place at Toluca and at Bozdag. The course, attended by 12 seed specialists, was taught in Turkish I Nations Development Programme from August 15 to 26. Five Mexican I (UNDP) for three years from January scientists attended and one each from and English. 10 ~