eHRAF Archaeology

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The Coastal Andean Archaic tradition is located along the Pacific coast of South America from southern Ecuador to northern Chile—principally the desert coast of Peru—from 7000–3800 BP (5000–1800 BC). The tradition ends with the introduction of ceramics, at different times in different areas: before 5500 BP (3500 BC) in Ecuador; circa 3800 BP (1800 BC) in northern and central Peru; and circa 3400–3200 BP (1400–1200 BC) in northern Chile. At the start of the tradition people were nomadic hunter-gatherers; by the end they had become settled fishermen and horticulturalists who built centers with monumental architecture. Their diet changed from deer, birds, reptiles, and gathered plants to one consisting largely of fish, shellfish, and marine mammals, with some gathered plant foods, and domesticated crops that included several types of tubers, beans, and fruits. But the earliest and probably most economically important crops were cotton and gourds for industrial uses such as fishing line, nets and floats. The use of cotton changed from cordage alone to single-warp textiles to split-paired twining and, ultimately, to plural-warp textiles.

The Late Preceramic and the beginnings of Peruvian civilization

The early ceremonial center of Huaricoto

Archaeological investigation of Late Archaic sites (3000–1800 B.C.) in the Pativilca Valley, Peru

The Fortaleza Valley, Peru

Preceramic corporate architecture

Architectural evidence for the development of nonegalitarian social systems in coastal Peru

Author	Title	Publication Date
Burger, Richard L.	The Late Preceramic and the beginnings of Peruvian civilization	1995
Burger, Richard L.	The early ceremonial center of Huaricoto	1985
Creamer, Winifred	Archaeological investigation of Late Archaic sites (3000–1800 B.C.) in the Pativilca Valley, Peru	2007
Creamer, Winifred	The Fortaleza Valley, Peru	2013
Feldman, Robert A.	Preceramic corporate architecture	1985
Feldman, Robert A.	Architectural evidence for the development of nonegalitarian social systems in coastal Peru	1987
Fung Pineda, Rosa	The Late Preceramic and Initial Period	1988
Haas, Jonathan	References cited	1987
Lumbreras, Luis Guillermo	The Archaic period	1974
Moseley, Michael Edward	The maritime foundations of Andean civilization	1975
Moseley, Michael Edward	The preceramic foundations of civilization	1992
Peregrine, Peter N. (Peter Neal)	Tradition Summary	2014

Coastal Andean Archaic

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