Dissertation: The Role of Long-Distance, Interregional Exchange in Archaic State Formation, Peru

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Under the direction of Dr. Charles Stanish, MS Aimee Plourde will obtain radiocarbon dates to determine the ages of material recovered during the course of fieldwork in the Huancane-Putina Valley in Peru. Over the course of six weeks, MS Plourde excavated at the site of Cachichupa which, based on its strategic location, massive terracing and large scale corporate architecture was the dominant location during the Formative period from ca. 1100 BC - AD 400. Based on comparison of Cachichupa's ceramics with those of adjacent regions it is possible with some confidence, to situate the site within this broad 1500 year time span, but the necessary more accurate placement requires radiocarbon dates.The goal of the work by MS Plourde and her advisor is to understand the factors which led to the rise to complex state level societies in the Andean region. While many are familiar with the Inca Empire, this in fact was the last in a series of such entities, the first of which developed in the highland Lake Titicaca Basin. While it is unlikely that any single cause can be isolated, many archaeologists believe that trade and control over the movement of essential resources led to the concentration of power and the development of hierarchically organized societies. Plourde and Stanish noted the early expansion of one particular site, Pukara, within the Titicaca Basin and its location adjacent to an important route which leads East towards the lowland Amazon. They postulated that the site controlled trade in important lowland goods and to test this idea they surveyed along the hypothesized route in an attempt to locate Pukara related sites. Cachichupa, they believe constitutes one such occurrence. However without precise knowledge of its age, it is not possible to fit it securely into a broader developmental sequence.This research is important for several reasons. It will provide insight into the rise of state level society in the New World and shed light on the factors which underlie this process. It will also assist in training a promising young scientist.