Abstract
Richard “Scotty” MacNeish, between 1969 and 1972, led an international team of archaeologists on the Ayacucho Archaeological-Botanical—Project in the south-central highlands of Peru. Among several important archaeological sites identified there, MacNeish and his team excavated the Puente rock shelter. As a part of an ongoing research program aimed to reassess the lithic remains from this endeavor, we re-studied a sample by making diverse kinds of morpho-technological analysis. The remains studied come from the lower strata at Puente, where a radiocarbon assay from layer XIIA yielded a calibrated date of 10,190 to 9555 years BP that the present study identifies, various activities were carried out at the site, mainly related to manufacturing and repairing unifacial and bifacial tools. The artifacts studied are comparable with the lithic remains found in other sites located in the Ayacucho Basin, and with other early evidence from other parts of the south-central Andes.
Highlights
The remains studied come from the lower strata at Puente, where a radiocarbon assay from layer XIIA yielded a calibrated date of 10,190 to 9555 years BP that the present study identifies, various activities were carried out at the site, mainly related to manufacturing and repairing unifacial and bifacial tools
Peabody Institute of Archaeology), between 1969 and 1972, an interdisciplinary team of archaeologists carried out the “Ayacucho Archaeological-Botanical Project” in the Ayacucho Basin, highland Peru (e.g., MacNeish, 1969, 1981; MacNeish et al, 1970, 1980)
The low frequency of lithic artefacts in layer XIV may have come from the upper layer, or they testify the presence of an older occupation
Summary
Worth mentioning are the Pikimachay, Ayamachay, and Rosamachay caves, as well as Jaywamachay and the Puente rock shelters These sites, and the latter, revealed a remarkable archaeological record spanning from the Late Pleistocene to historical times. The reported lithic artefacts lack standard definitions, detailed studies, and associations with other sites; this evidence should be better organized based on comprehensive reviews In pursuing this goal, a detailed revision on the Ayacucho-Huanta Project collections is being carried out, as well as new fieldwork in the area. Made on flakes with semi-abrupt continuous retouches modifying one or more edges, creating a straight, concave, or convex edge without cut-outs (Merino, 1994: p. 64; Piel-Desruisseaux, 1989: pp. 75-76)
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