article
Early civilization in the Casma Valley, Peru
Antiquity • 66 (253) • Published In 1992 • Pages: 845-870
By: Pozorski, Shelia Griffis, Pozorski, Thomas George.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
The authors discuss major finds from their fieldwork in the Casma Valley on the north coast of Peru, covering the early rise of social complexity from the Cotton Preceramic through the Early Formative/Initial Period (only data pertaining to the Initial Period is indexed for content). Their interpretation that two polities in the valley were states depends on the definition employed. They argue for the potential for rapid changes in social complexity are not predicted by standard evolutionary models, and that complex societies in the past may lack historical analogues: early states could have held unfamiliar priorities, preferences, and value systems. Complexity in the valley is demonstrated by monumental architecture, planned settlement layout, indications for a developed bureaucracy and elites, and possible secondary administrative centers with their own respective subsidiary sites. Another remarkable finding is the apparent separation of religious and secular power as seen in separate buildings for religious activities and bureaucratic structures devoted to storage.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Government institutions
- Territorial organization
- Public structures
- Religious and educational structures
- Social relationships and groups
- General character of religion
- Settlement patterns
- Theoretical orientation in research and its results
- 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
- 1979-1991
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 4500-2900 BP(2500-900 BC)
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Casma province, Ancash, Peru
- NotesAdditional notes
- Shelia Pozorski & Thomas Pozorski
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 867-870)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 29021740
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Andes Region--Antiquities