Archaeomagnetic research in the Andean highlands

Abstract

Eleven archaeomagnetic samples were collected from several sites near Porco, Bolivia as part of the Proyecto Arqueológico Porco-Potosí. These samples were collected in order to 1) explore the availability of appropriate sample materials in the Bolivian Andes, and 2) assess the feasibility of pursuing reference curve research for this region. In addition, this research explored the archaeomagnetic dating application of reference curves constructed from the global geomagnetic field model gufm1 ( Jackson et al., 2000), which covers the period from AD 1590–1990. This model is particularly applicable to our project, since many of the project sites are late prehispanic (pre-AD 1532) and early historic (ca. AD 1532–1825) in age. Of the 11 samples, three appeared to contain an insufficient amount of ferromagnetic minerals to provide reliable results, while eight samples produced acceptable-to-good results. The data from the eight good samples were compared to a reference curve for the period of AD 1600–2000 that was calculated for this project from the global field model, gufm1. The archaeomagnetic dates obtained for two of the samples agreed with archaeological expectations, while those for four other samples marginally or greatly postdated the archaeological age expectations. Two additional samples produced significantly different directions and could not be dated against the reference curve. It is likely that the age discrepancies for four of the samples stem from inaccuracies in the archaeomagnetic data, the archaeological age expectations, the calculated reference curve, or some combination of these factors.