The cultural nature of tephra: ‘Problematic’ ecofacts and artifacts and the Barú volcano, Panamá

Abstract

This paper presents data from archaeological stratigraphy and lacustrine core samples containing tephra from the Barú volcano in western Panama. The discussion seeks to refine the understanding of medial tephra deposits near Barú in relation to the eruption history indicated by geological, palaeoecological, and archaeological data. A primary goal of this fieldwork is the identification and correlation of tephra from major Barú eruptions encountered in archaeological contexts by their lithology, stratigraphic position, and mineralogy without resorting to geochemical fingerprinting. The intention is to develop a cost efficient and reproducible means of utilizing tephra as a chronostratigraphic marker in archaeological contexts and examine the intersection of human life with volcanic events and dynamic environments. Tephra in archaeological contexts can have ambiguous placement between ecofact and artifact, as is the case with a small number of crude tephra sculptures in my excavated material and that of a seminal prior study. While the research project utilizes visible tephra layers, not cryptotephra, by all means the tephra data prove to be cryptic. Engagement with the imperfection entailed in meshing multidisciplinary data sets and different scientific communities with interests in tephra, particularly in lesser studied regions, is posited as a ‘total’ view of tephra.