article

An early subsistence exchange system in the Moche Valley, Peru

Journal of field archaeology6 (4)Published In 1979 • Pages: 413-432

By: Pozorski, Shelia Griffis, Pozorski, Thomas George.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
The authors excavated at the sites of Gramalote and Caballo Muerto in the Moche Valley on the north coast of Peru, examining midden deposits for subsistence remains. Burials, ceramics, textiles and textile impressions, worked stone, and architectural remains were also unearthed. Due to poor preservation at Caballo Muerto no plant remains were found, so indirect evidence is used to determine the presence of plants. Tables list the plant and animal species found at both sites. Although Caballo Muerto was located to take advantage of irrigation agriculture, most protein came from marine animals. Coastal and inland sites would have formed a complementary economic unit: coastal sites supplied coastal resources such as shellfish and fish, and inland sites provided agricultural produce including cotton. Settlement patterns from other sites on the north coast indicate this subsistence pattern was common, as it is unlikely that the variety of plant species found at some coastal sites could have been grown locally.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Diet
Fauna
Flora
Domesticated animals
Archaeological excavation methods
Settlement patterns
Inter-community relations
traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Coastal Andean Early Formative
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2014
RegionThe area the document pertains to
South America
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Central Andes
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
article
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Archaeologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Sarah Berry; 2012
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1973-1974
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
3800-2400 BP (1800-400 BC)
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Gramalote and Caballo Muerto, Trujillo province (Moche Valley), La Libertad, Peru
NotesAdditional notes
Shelia Pozorski, Thomas Pozorski
Includes bibliographical references
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
75641025
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Andes Region--Antiquities