Analyses of the La Chimba Faunas

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Stahl With National Science Foundation support Dr Peter Stahl will analyze a large collection of archaeological fauna from the site of La Chimba which is located in the Pichincha Province of Ecuador. The site, which was excavated in the 1970s and 1980s is important because its stratified deposits are extremely rich in well preserved faunal remains as well as other materials such as ceramics and stone tools. Based on radiocarbon dates, it spans an almost 1,000 year interval and includes the period when domestic animals first appeared in the region. Dr. Stahl will conduct an extensive faunal analysis and focus on both the guinea pig and the camelids (which include a number of species). He will categorize all identifiable pieces by species, body part and cultural treatment. We will also xray a number of specimens to determine bone density which determines the probability that a type of bone will be preserved. On this basis he hopes to gain insight into the introduction of these important domesticates into their northerly end of their prehistoric range and to determine the effect they had on local economy and other aspects of culture. The South American Andean region saw the rise of one of the great prehistoric civilizations of the world. Anthropologists wish to understand the processes which underlay the rise of civilization and, because of the wealth of archaeological information available, have focussed on this region. They know that the domestication of plants and animals is an important factor in this process. It is unlikely that either camelids or guinea pig were domesticated this far North but were rather they were probably introduced in already domesticated form. Through his study of the La Chimba faunal remains Dr. Stahl will be able to assess in a direct manner the social effect of these introductions. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and will also increase our understanding of ho w complex societies develop. Finally the density measurements will be widely used by faunal analysts in a number of contexts.