Chapter 16 Pre-Columbian Exploitation of Birds Around
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Chapter 16 PRe-COLUMBIAN EXPLOITATION OF BIRDS AROUND PANAMA BAY Richard Cooke, David Steadman, Máximo Jiménez, and Ilean Isaza Aizpurúa This paper presents a summary of avifaunas found at residential and mortu- ary sites from two areas of Panama: Parita Bay and the Pearl Islands Ar- chipelago. Despite relying on samples often few in number, the taxonomic diversity of birds recorded in contexts belonging to 10 archaeological sites is much greater than that of other vertebrate classes (except fish). Although a considerable number of Neotropical bird orders and families share the problem that it is impossible to separate their members osteologically, our analysis concentrates on data pertaining to the taxonomic levels of genera and species. Results show that pre-Columbian people from both areas did not go very far to obtain most of the bird taxa they utilized. The excep- tions to this rule are a few species that frequent extensive forests or marine habitats well offshore. Whereas most bird taxa were destined for human consumption, some nonlocal and/or less abundant species were captured for ritual and ceremonial, decorative, affective, and crafting purposes. Bird Remains in Pre-Columbian Panama Not many areas of Panama have produced pre-Columbian vertebrate archaeofaunas. Those that have are located in coastal zones, on islands where middens contain abundant marine molluscs, or in the central Pa- cific lowlands and foothills where a combination of long dry seasons and favorable soil chemistry enhance bone survival in archaeological sedi- ments even when marine shell is absent (Cooke, Jiménez, and Ranere 2007, 2008; Cooke and Ranere 1989, 1992a; Linares and White 1980; Ranere and Hansell 1978; Wing 1980a). Bird remains were not recovered at all sites with vertebrate archaeofauna, however. For example, at Cerro Brujo, on the western Caribbean coast (Figure 1), a cluster of houses oc- cupied between 600 and 1250 cal CE provided zooarchaeological data on fishing, turtling, and hunting manatees and terrestrial mammals; but no bird specimens were reported in extensive excavations. Since fish bones 479 480 The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals and other fragile remains were recovered, this situation presumably re- flects the dietary preferences or the discard behavior of this particular hu- man group rather than a preservation environment inimical only to bird remains (Linares 1976). The samples we discuss here refer to the littoral and islands of Panama Bay. Pre-Columbian bird remains from 10 sites have been formally ana- lyzed (Table 1). Seven sites are located on and just inland of Parita Bay, in the northwestern corner of Panama Bay where the Azuero Peninsula joins the major axis of the isthmus. These range in age from ca. 4200 cal BCE to Spanish contact (1515 CE). Three sites are located on the Pearl Islands. One of these (Playa Don Bernardo) is the first Preceramic settle- ment reported on Central American land-bridge islands. Two other sites on the mainland have produced bird remains. One is Sitio Conte, a mortuary precinct where large numbers of bird-bone arti- facts were found in graves dating between ca. 700 and 1000 cal CE during the apogee of Panama chiefly societies (Briggs 1989; Cooke and Jiménez 2010; Lothrop 1937). The other isP anamá Viejo where a pre-Columbian village lies underneath the ruins of the colonial town. Copious faunal samples have been recovered here although only fish remains have been reported until now (e.g., see now Jiménez and Cooke 2001). Our evaluation concentrates on genus and species. We have taken some liberties making species-level identifications. For example, we attribute ibis bones to the white ibis (Eudocimus albus) rather than to the scarlet ibis (E. ruber) even though separating these two species osteologically is im- possible. The scarlet ibis, however, has been recorded only once in Panama (Angehr 2005) whereas the white ibis is widespread. Therefore it is most likely that all archaeological Eudocimus bones belong to the white ibis. From the standpoint of human ecology, it does not matter much: both species frequent similar habitats. The difficulty of separating similar-sized doves in the genera Leptotila, Geotrygon, and Zenaida prompted us to list together specimens that refer to these genera but cannot objectively be assigned to species. The 10 sites located around Parita Bay and on the Pearl Islands pro- duced 1,319 bird specimens from 77 genera and at least 82 species (Table 2). The same sites reported four species of amphibians, 13 species of rep- tiles, and 31 species of mammals (Carvajal Contreras, Jiménez, and Cooke 2008; Cooke and Jiménez 2008, 2009; Cooke, Jiménez, and Ranere 2007). The avian archaeofauna, however, underestimates the diversity of the bird communities that would have been available to pre-Columbian peoples Figure 1. Geographical location of archaeological sites around Parita Bay and in the Pearl Islands, Panama, which have provided bird archaeofaunas. Inset: map of Panama showing the location of other pre-Columbian sites with archaeofaunas, and prominent geographical features. 482 Table 1. Archaeological sites around Parita Bay and on the Pearl Island archipelago, Panama, where taxonomically sig- nificant bird remains have been reported. Distance Year(s) Date of from sea Current nonagricultural Site Region Area studied Type of site occupation (km) vegetation in vicinity Playa Don Pearl Islands 1.3 ha 2008–2010 Small farming 4240–3600 0 Dry forest, second-growth, Bernardo (P. González) open settlement, cal BCE coastal scrub preceramic Cerro Mangote Parita Bay 1.75 ha 1956, 1979 Small farming 5900–3020 1.5–5 Dry forest, second growth, T (AG-1) open settlement, cal BCE salt flats, he preceramic mangroves A Aguadulce Parita Bay ~120 m2 1973–1975, Rockshelter 5400–800 15–18 Dry forest, wooded rchaeology of Shelter (AG-13) 1998 occupied by farmers cal BCE savannas, freshwater swamps Cueva de los Parita Bay ~625 m2 1974 Rockshelter 5900–2100 20–25 Dry forest, wooded Ladrones (LP-1) occupied by farmers cal BCE savannas, grasslands Cerro Juan Díaz Parita Bay 150 ha 1991–2001 Nucleated farming 200 cal 2–4 Dry forest, wooded M esoamerican (LS-3) village and mortuary BCE–1600 savannas, mangroves, salt center cal CE flats Sitio Sierra (AG-3) Parita Bay 45 ha 1971–1975 Nucleated farming 200 cal 12–13 Dry forest, wooded village with burials BCE–1520 savannas, gallery forest, cal CE swamps A nimals P Finca Germán Parita Bay 17 ha 2001–2002 Nucleated farming 550–750 1–2 Dry forest, wooded re-Columbian Castillo (LS-31) village cal CE savannas, mangroves, salt flats Vampiros Parita Bay ~50 m2 1982, Rockshelter; hunting 200 cal 0-2 Mangroves, coastal scrub, Shelters (AG-145) 2002–2006 & fishing camp or BCE–1000 salt flats, dry forest station cal CE E xploitation of of xploitation Jesús María IX Pearl Islands 0.5 ha 2007 Midden area with 1000–1515 0.5 Coastal scrub, dry forest (Isla del Rey) marine shell cal CE PG- L-3 Pearl Islands 0.5 ha 2007 Midden area with 640–780 0.5 Dry forest (P. González) marine shell cal CE B irds around P anama anama B ay 483 484 Table 2. Bird taxa exploited by pre-Columbian humans around Parita Bay and in the Pearl Island Archipelago, Panama, with observations on habitat and current status on the isthmus (synthesized from Angehr and Dean 2010). Current status Family Genus Species English name Habitat (general) (Panama) ANATIDAE Dendrocygna indet. whistling-duck freshwater varies by species ANATIDAE Dendrocygna autumnalis black-bellied whistling freshwater, estuaries breeding duck ANATIDAE Dendrocygna viduata white-faced whistling- freshwater vagrant duck T ANATIDAE Cairina moschata muscovy duck freshwater, estuaries breeding; domestic he A ANATIDAE Anas indet. dabbling duck freshwater varies by species rchaeology of ANATIDAE Anas bahamensis white-cheeked pintail freshwater, estuaries vagrant ANATIDAE Aythya affinis lesser scaup freshwater migrant, Nov.–Mar. ANATIDAE Aythya collaris ring-necked duck freshwater migrant, Dec.–Feb. CRACIDAE Crax rubra great curassow remote forests breeding, rare and local M esoamerican CRACIDAE Ortalis cinereiceps gray-headed woods, second growth breeding, common chachalaca CRACIDAE Penelope purpurascens crested guan forests breeding, uncommon PHASIANIDAE Gallus gallus domestic chicken domestic introduced, domestic A ODONTOPHORIDAE Colinus cristatus crested bobwhite scrub with grassy areas breeding, common nimals PROCELLARIIDAE Puffinus griseus sooty shearwater marine offshore, June–Sept. P SULIDAE Sula indet. booby marine varies by species re-Columbian SULIDAE Sula dactylatra / masked or Grant’s marine offshore,granti: granti booby uncommon SULIDAE Sula leucogaster brown booby marine breeding, common SULIDAE Sula nebouxii blue-footed booby marine breeding, common at E nests of xploitation PELECANIDAE Pelecanus occidentalis brown pelican marine breeding, very common PHALACROCORACIDAE Phalacrocorax brasilianus neotropic cormorant marine, coastal, fresh- breeding, common water FREGATIDAE Fregata magnificens magnificent frigate- marine, strays inland breeding, very B irds around bird common ARDEIDAE Egretta indet. egret freshwater, coasts varies by species ARDEIDAE Ardea indet. heron freshwater, coasts varies by species ARDEIDAE Ardea alba great egret freshwater, coasts breeding & migrant, P anama anama common ARDEIDAE Ardea herodias great blue heron freshwater, coasts mostly migrant (Sept.– B Apr.) ay ARDEIDAE Butorides indet. green and/or striped freshwater, coasts breeding & migrant, heron common ARDEIDAE Nyctanassa