Control Mechanisms in a Context of Empire: Excavation and Laboratory Reports from the Moquegua Valley: 2015-2017
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Donna Nash, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: The site of Las Peñas is located in the Torata tributary of the Osmore drainage in southern Peru. The site is situated on a long, narrow ridge on the south side of the river. The habitation areas protrude above the area cultivated today, but the site has been disturbed in a number of ways. Stones have been taken from the site to build terraces and houses in the vicinity of the site. People regularly use the ridge to move from higher elevations down to the river, which they could follow to town, although this route has been less frequently used since roads suitable for cars have been built in recent years that run horizontally across the hill slope. The greatest source of disturbance comes from an annual festival held in early May at the site, which celebrates the cross of Las Peñas. In fact, the town has invested in constructing a cement stairway which leads from the new river road up to the newly constructed capilla. The new road destroyed the northern part of the site, where a ridge top canal was observed during survey in 2006, and the original capilla. The new shrine has a small plaza or dance space to the east. Both of these recentlybuilt features destroyed several houses in the northern sector. Annual celebration of the cross in this capilla will continue to damage the site. This reality spurred us to excavate more than originally planned in this area.During initial reconnaissance and mapping the site was divided into three sectors. The north sector is closest to the river and has a modern shrine or capilla, which is celebrated in early May each year. This sector was thought to have been occupied during the Late Formative period because several of the terraces were semi-circular in shape and lacked standing architecture; however, some rectangular structures are also present. This area is approximately one hectare. The central sector of the site has a few walls that frame a mound feature. This sector was explored during testing in 2012, which did not reveal the nature of this space. Ground penetrating radar of this zone did not provide clear subsurface features to explore, thus this area was not sampled during the project. The southern sector is on the highest occupied part of the ridge. The remains of a boundary wall and possible moat define the northern edge of the site. The majority of the domestic structures in the northern sector are located on the western side of the ridge, are built on terraces, and face down river. A boundary wall is apparent, but it does not circumscribe the entire occupied zone. Additional houses and a canal are located below the wall. We presume that the cultivated zone below the ancient canal was cultivated in the past, as well as the swale and modern agricultural features that are below the level of the ancient canal.
Control Mechanisms in a Context of Empire: Excavation and Laboratory Reports from the Moquegua Valley: 2015-2017
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Created on 8/30/2022
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Language: English
- Date: 2022
- Keywords
- Las Peñas, Moquegua Valley, excavation, archaeology