La Galgada: Peru Before Pottery Author(S): Terence Grieder and Alberto Bueno Mendoza Source: Archaeology, Vol
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La Galgada: Peru Before Pottery Author(s): Terence Grieder and Alberto Bueno Mendoza Source: Archaeology, Vol. 34, No. 2 (March/April 1981), pp. 44-51 Published by: Archaeological Institute of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41727123 Accessed: 04-08-2015 15:41 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Archaeological Institute of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Archaeology. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.83.205.78 on Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:41:42 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions /';-=09 )(8*=-0/'] This content downloaded from 128.83.205.78 on Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:41:42 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions by Terence Grieder and Alberto Bueno Mendoza n a desolate canyon in the high Andes ofnorth- the surroundingmountains, animal bones are ern Peru, the secretsof one ofAmerica's oldest almost nonexistentin the debris ofthe ruins.This civilizations are comingto light.Five thousand may imply a diet based mainly on agricultural years ago, the ancient people who lived therebuilt products. elaborate temples and tombsand shared a beautiful The site extends forabout one kilometeralong art. For a thousand years beforethe introductionof the east bank of the river with three ceremonial pottery,artists and craftmenworked in bone and complexes formingthe nuclei of settlements.A shell, stone,basketry and especially in textiles.The slightlydifferent pattern of platformsaround a arid climate at the ruins of La Galgada has pre- large temple, all apparently Preceramic in date, served the richest collection of cultural material was discovered on the opposite west bank. Since available in the Andean highlands during the 1976 we have been studyingthe largest ofthe east period between 3000 and 2000 B.C.That period, bank settlements.It contained about 50 houses but called the Preceramic, has begun to show the sur- others were destroyedwhen a road was built prising beginning of one of the New World's great- throughLa Galgada in 1975. Ifall ofthe houses had est styles and the originsof a distinctivelyPeruvian been occupied by families of five,this area had a civilization. population ofover 250 people,which probablycon- Studyof the Peruvian Preceramic periodbegan stituted about one-fourthof the population of the in 1946 when the archaeologist Junius Bird exca- whole site. The road project also cut throughthe vated the ancient mound of Huaca Prieta on the temple complexand coveredover early levels along Pacific coast. In the time since the Huaca Prieta the façade ofthe large northtemple while destroy- excavations, countless Preceramic sites have been ing half ofthe later part ofthe small south temple. identifiedin Peru and about a dozen or so have been In 1978 excavations concentratedon the all- sampled by excavation. The Preceramic ended importantsalvage ofthe south temple.Then in 1979 about 2000 B.C. when potterymaking was intro- and 1980 workfocused on decipheringthe architec- duced,but how to definethe beginningof the period tural historyof the large northtemple. The unusual is a morecomplex issue. The termPreceramic has historicalsignificance of La Galgada is based in part sometimesbeen used to cover all ofthe millennia of on its exceptionally fine and well-preservedar- human occupation in Peru beforepottery. Now chitecture.These remains have dictated a conserva- thanks to a series ofPreceramic site excavations a tive excavation approach in which the remains of moremeaningful definition of this importantperiod everysingle architecturalperiod are preservedand is emerging.Archaeologists have determinedthat only unrestorable rubble and exposed fill are re- duringabout 3000 B.C.the mostadvanced Peruvian moved.The survival ofthe monumenthas the high- communitiesalready showed many traits which set est priorityin an effortto carefullyprobe and record themapart fromthe earliest hunter-gatherersand the deeper levels of this major temple complex. sedentaryfarmers and linked them with the later The northtemple was completelyrebuilt at least Peruvian civilizations. These people lived in fourtimes. The earliest excavated level, which densely settled towns with large temples and built probably dates to about 3000 B.C.,contains a cere- tombsfor the upper class which held burial offerings monial firepitchamber of a type foundalso at of textiles and jewelry.The principal thing they Kotosh and Huaricoto which remained the typical lacked was pottery. ceremonial structurethroughout the Preceramic in The site ofLa Galgada is located in the canyon the highlands. At that time the floorlevel was al- of the Tablachaca River,the main tributaryof the ready 13 metersabove the base ofthe façade facing largest river on Peru's west coast. The unfailing the river.It seems likely that there are lower,earlier presence of water was surely the attraction to an- levels still to be discoveredwithin the mound.The cientfarmers. Even today many ofthe same plants temple was completelyrebuilt in about 2800 B.C. used by ancient inhabitants growin the canyon,an with new ceremonial chambers on top and a massive indicationthat the climate 5,000 years ago was not encirclingwall. Several centuries later the cham- too different.The ancient inhabitants ofLa Galgada bers were filled with two meters of fill to support raised Lima beans, peanuts, avocados, mangos, new floorlevels, and a new encirclingwall was con- bananas and several other foodplants as well as structed.Then in about 2000 B.C. when the first abundant cottonalong the banks of the river.Al- crude potterybegan appearing on the site, the whole thoughgame animals must have been plentifulin northtemple was encased in a still larger structure. March/April 1981 45 This content downloaded from 128.83.205.78 on Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:41:42 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions During this rebuilding the small circular ceremo- America. Perhaps the ancient people sat on the low nial firepitchambers which had stood fora bench levels around the firepitsto take part in their thousand years were replaced by rectangular rooms rituals. In mostof the chambers there is not enough forminga U around the square courtyard.Only the floorspace fordancing or a dramatic ritual such as stumpof the large encirclingwall remains, and just sandpainting. traces ofthe rectangular buildings lie on top ofthe By about 2500 B.C.the southtemple compound had mound. been established south ofthe large northernmound. The massive temple walls appear to have served Over the following700 years chamber after onlyto retain filland make the temple higherand chamber was constructedwith five successive en- moreimpressive and do not seem to have been de- largementsof the encirclingwall. The reuse ofthe fensive.In fact,the walls ofthe later south temple old ceremonial chambers as tombsis mostclear in never »reacheda defensible height. One can only this compound.When a chamber was about to be speculate about the use of the ceremonial firepit abandoned a roughwall oflarge stones was placed a chambers. The most common material foundon meterfrom the chamberwalls. Flat stones were laid their floorsis white, orange, red or green feather as roofbeams fromthe new wall to the old chamber down. The only other item lying directlyon a walls; then this structurewas buried under the chamber floorwas the lower half of a large deer earth and rockfill leaving a stone-linedshaft lead- antler.These items suggest ceremoniesjust as the ing to the new surface.The small subterranean architecturerecalls the Pueblo kivas of North chambers held fromthree to fivebodies. Those dat- 46 ARCHAEOLOGY This content downloaded from 128.83.205.78 on Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:41:42 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions (Left)The southeast corner of the North Temple at La Galgada. (Above) Closeup of the southeast curved cornerwhich is characteristicofPreceramic architecture.The two corbels (upper right) once supporteda higher wall level. ing to the Preceramic periodwere extended on their sive stones used in theirconstruction is anticipated backs while those belongingto the transitionto the in the tombs at La Galgada. Initial Ceramic period (2000-1500 B.C.)were flexed The Preceramic temples are also notable forthe in a seated position. These representthe oldest ornamental constructionof both the interiorand ex- knownAmerican examples ofshaft tombs in which teriorwalls. Even in the earliest building, con- the tombchamber was reached by a shaftor tunnel. structedof rounded waterworn stones, a level pro- In later times such tombs were widely used along jecting dado was built with straight-linedtrapezoi- the west coast ofMiddle and South America. Other dal niches set upon it. Such rectilinearforms would tombs at La Galgada were built entirelynew into seem to be hard to build with rounded stones but the spaces between the encirclingwalls and be- theytook theirfinal formin the thickmud plaster tween the two temple compounds.These examples, which coveredthe stone walls. In the later buildings whichdate to the later part ofthe Preceramic or the ofsquared