Frontier Life in Ancient Peru: The Archaeology of Cerro la Cruz

249 Pages·2012·3.89 MB·English

by  Melissa A. Vogel

ArchAeology/Anthropology Melissa A. Vogel
V
o
“Thorough studies such as this are relatively rare in the northern Peruvian
g
coast archaeological literature. This pioneering work is the first English-
e
language excavation monograph detailing the material culture of the Casma L
polity.”—Jonathan D. Kent, Metropolitan State College, Denver
7 F
r
o
Melissa Vogel’s Frontier Life in Ancient Peru offers a new perspective on
n
ancient Peruvian life and geopolitics during a pivotal period of Andean
t
cultural transformation between AD 900 and AD 1300. Focusing on the fron- i
e
tier site of Cerro la Cruz in the Chao Valley (located on the northern frontier
r
of the Casma polity), this volume richly details the role of cross-cutting social
L
networks and the dynamics of shifting political boundaries in prehistoric
i
north coast Peru. f
e
The rise of the Chimú Empire caused the Chao Valley to become a border

zone between the Casma and their encroaching neighbors. Vogel identifies the i
n
various cultural influences represented in the archaeological record and re-
A
constructs the nature of the area’s occupation and transformation over time.
Her systematic and comprehensive volume synthesizes information about the n
societies in this region while also expanding and clarifying the definition of c
i
Casma-style ceramics and architecture for comparison with other sites. e
This study provides new insights into a relatively unknown cultural group n
during a period of cultural transition and political instability, enhancing our t

knowledge of border zones and frontiers and the roles they play in the inter- P
polity dynamics of precapitalist states. As the first English-language work on e
r
the Casma polity, this is a powerful new resource for understanding an impor-
u
tant pre-Inca culture as well as a fascinating investigation of the forces at work
in the development and collapse of complex societies.
Melissa A. Vogel is assistant professor of anthropology at Clemson University.
Front, clockwise from left: Drawing of a sherd with both Casma-
style rope design and Chimú-style front-facing god (SA01-1).
Drawn by Jorge Gamboa. Serpentine Appliqué design on a sherd
from Cerro la Cruz (SA01-8). Photo by author. Cerro la Cruz,
photo by author.
Author photo by Ian Curcio.
university Press of Florida
www.upf.com
The Archaeology of Cerro la Cruz
ISBN 978-0-8130-3796-7
uPF
,!7IA8B3-adhjgh!
Frontier Life in Ancient Peru
University Press of Florida
Florida A&M University, Tallahassee
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers
Florida International University, Miami
Florida State University, Tallahassee
New College of Florida, Sarasota
University of Central Florida, Orlando
University of Florida, Gainesville
University of North Florida, Jacksonville
University of South Florida, Tampa
University of West Florida, Pensacola

Frontier LiFe in
Ancient Peru
the Archaeology of Cerro la Cruz

Melissa A. Vogel
University Press of Florida
Gainesville · Tallahassee · Tampa · Boca Raton
Pensacola · Orlando · Miami · Jacksonville · Ft. Myers · Sarasota
Copyright 2012 by Melissa A. Vogel
Printed in the United States of America. This book is printed on Glatfelter Natures Book,
a paper certified under the standards of the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). It is a
recycled stock that contains 30 percent post-consumer waste and is acid-free.
All rights reserved
17 16 15 14 13 12 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vogel, Melissa A.
Frontier life in ancient Peru : the archaeology of Cerro la Cruz / Melissa A. Vogel.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8130-3796-7 (alk. paper)
1. Indians of South America—Peru—Chao River Valley—Antiquities. 2. Indians of South
America—Peru—Chao River Valley—Politics and government. 3. Indians of South
America—Peru—Chao River Valley—Migrations. 4. Indians of South America—Peru—
Casma River Valley—Antiquities. 5. Indians of South America—Peru—Casma River
Valley—Politics and government. 6. Chao River Valley (Peru)—Antiquities. 7. Casma
River Valley (Peru)—Antiquities. I. Title.
F3429.1.C475V65 2012
985.'01—dc23
2011037548
The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State University
System of Florida, comprising Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University,
Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida State University,
New College of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University
of North Florida, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida.
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
http://www.upf.com
To my friend and mentor, Carol Mackey, for her generosity,
wisdom, and sage advice,
and to my parents for their unwavering support of my career aspirations.

Contents
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
List of Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
1. Introduction: Geopolitical Boundaries
in Andean Prehistory . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. A Time and Place of Transition: The North Coast
of Peru, AD 900–1350 . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3. Archaeological Approaches to Peripheries . . . . . . 43
4. Investigating Peripheries: The Site of Cerro la Cruz . . . . 59
5. Life on the Edge of the Casma Polity . . . . . . . 84
6. The Geopolitical Landscape of the Peruvian Coast
in Late Prehistory . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
7. Conclusion: Conquest and Abandonment . . . . . . 175
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
References Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Figures
1.1. View of Cerro la Cruz from the south 3
2.1. U-shaped audiencia with niches at the site of Chan Chan 24
2.2. Fragment of a Casma Incised olla from Cerro la Cruz
(B3R10U1-58) 27
2.3. Drawing of a Casma Molded jar fragment from Cerro la Cruz 30
2.4. Serpentine Appliqué design on a sherd from Cerro la Cruz
(SA01-8) 31
2.5. Fragment of a Serpentine Appliqué jar from Cerro la Cruz 32
2.6. Fragment of a Casma-style olla with rope design from Cerro la
Cruz (B3R10U1-201) 32
2.7. Georeferenced 2007 Google Earth photograph of El Purgatorio in
the Casma Valley 37
2.8. View of El Purgatorio Sector A 38
2.9. View of El Purgatorio Sector B 39
2.10. Georeferenced 1969 aerial photograph of Cerro la Cruz 41
4.1. Georeferenced 1997 aerial photograph of Cerro la Cruz 61
4.2. Ceramic workshop at the base of Compound D3 80
5.1. Compound B3 viewed from the south 88
5.2. Compound D3 viewed from the north 89
5.3. Close-up of Burial 1 in situ (B3R6U1) 93
5.4. Compound B3, Room 10, Unit 1 (B3R10U1) showing restricted
access pattern 95
5.5. Compound B3, Room 28, Unit 1 (B3R28U1) with two niches and
floor 96
5.6. Compound D3, Room 5, Unit 1 (D3R5U1) showing two niches and
Floor 1 97
5.7. Face-neck jar showing Transitional style (B3R6T1-1,2,4) 111
5.8. Face-neck jar resembling the Moche style 112