Ceremonial Center Research Articles

Domestic Architecture at Letchworth (8JE337) and Other Woodland Period Ceremonial Centers in the Gulf Coastal Plain

Architectural remains, especially domestic architecture, are essential for understanding the ways in which households organized themselves socially and economically in the past. Unfortunately, these remains are infrequently identified from Woodland period (1000 BC–AD 1000) archaeological sites along the Gulf Coast, an area home to well-known ceramic and mortuary traditions during this time. As a result, our knowledge of Woodland period households in the region is scant. In this article I present a newly discovered house from Letchworth (8JE337), a large Woodland period ceremonial center in northwest Florida, and compare it to the few published examples of houses from this region. I show that domestic architecture along the Gulf Coast during the Woodland period is diverse, suggesting differences in the organization of households and the historical development of ceremonial centers.

Hunting and feasting in the pre-Columbian Andes: Exploring the nature and scale of early ceremonial aggregations in Tulan Ravine (5300 to 2400 yr cal. BP) through the circulation of obsidian artefacts

In the pre-Columbian Andes, ceremonial centres were places for large-scale periodic celebrations that facilitated interaction and the reproduction of social life; however, little is known about their role and emergence in early periods. In order to explore the nature and scale of social aggregations, we study the circulation of obsidian artefacts from two early ceremonial centres: Tulan-52 (5300 to 4200 cal. BP) and Tulan-54 (3200 to 2400 cal. BP). Compositional analyses indicate the exploitation of local obsidian, but with a significant contribution from several extra-local sources in the north of the Salar de Atacama (Chile), the Andes highlands (4000 masl) and the northwest of Argentina. According to technological studies and other complementary data, obsidian was employed mainly for the production of bifacial projectile points used in collective hunts and ritual feasts. Our data supports the existence of wide, decentralised inter-community networks fostered by inclusive access to these periodic congregations. We argue that early ceremonial centres were intended to maintain social cohesion and cooperative labour between trans-egalitarian groups in the face of the profound socio-economic changes introduced by the adoption of a more sedentary, pastoralist way of life.

Pacific royalty, past and present: German interactions with pre-existing elites on Pohnpei

The island of Pohnpei houses the ruins of Nan Madol, currently Micronesia’s only World Heritage site. It is now believed to represent the ceremonial centre of the Saudeleur dynasty, a vibrant period in Pacific Island culture. Western visitors to Pohnpei in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were fascinated by these ruins, often interpreting them as the dwelling place of kings long past. At the same time, they sought to comprehend the complex socio-political hierarchies of existing Pohnpeian society through the lens of monarchy, identifying multiple ‘kings’ among the island’s elites. This article examines German-speakers’ perceptions of, and interactions with, pre-existing elites on Pohnpei over the years 1870–1914. These dates correspond to a period of significant political change on Pohnpei, from nominal Spanish control to the establishment of an outpost of German imperialism.

Highland-Coastal Relations and Transformations in Dualistic Political Ideologies in Middle Horizon Jequetepeque

Recent research in the southern Jequetepeque Valley provides evidence that gender ideologies, dualistic spatial orders, and geopolitical relations underwent major transformations between the late 7th and 9th centuries C.E. Data from the Late Moche site of Huaca Colorada demonstrate that a dualistic cosmological schema informed the layout of the main monument earlier in the Moche era. However, the foundation of the neighboring ceremonial center of Tecapa during the second half of the Middle Horizon intensified this dyadic layout, pointing to the significant influence of highland cultures in the reformulation of gender ideologies and political relations on the coast.

Continuidad y transformación de la organización territorial en el siglo XVI: el caso de la región de Araró- Zinapécuaro

El articulo trata de los cambios territoriales del espacio regional de Araró- Zinapécuaro (Michoacán, México) a lo largo del siglo XVI. A partir de los años de 1540, la cristianización de este importante centro ceremonial tarasco y la fundación de un convento franciscano favoreció el traslado de las competencias administrativas entre Araró, que fungía originalmente cómo cabecera, y Zinapécuaro. Así, este estudio de caso demuestra la progresiva adaptación de la organización territorial prehispánica a las necesidades de la Nueva España. A partir del análisis de la organización territorial, de la documentación histórica y de datos arqueológicos, se reflexiona sobre el impacto que tuvo el cambio sobre los pueblos sujetos, el territorio y el uso de los recursos naturales.

Achenheim: a fortified settlement from the last third of the fifth millennium (Bruebach-Oberbergen group) in Lower Alsace

Abstract. A preventive excavation carried out in 2016 at the Achenheim Strasse 2 site, west of Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) investigated part of a ringed village, over an area of one hectare, attributed to the Bruebach-Oberbergen horizon, an Epiroessenian group settled in Lower Alsace between 4400 and 4250 BC. Most of the storage pits discovered belong to this horizon (at least 211 and probably more than 350), and a long section of enclosure outlining a segment of a circle over 155 linear metres followed on from them, consisting of a continuous V-shaped ditch, on average 1.70 metres wide and of equivalent depth. The ditch was probably flanked on the inside by an earthen embankment, as indicated by the asymmetrical profiles of the fillings, and is interrupted twice by openings with structures assimilated to fortified entrances. The construction of the enclosure was carried out as a single project where only the entrances were redeveloped, to varying degrees. The discovery of this enclosure, identified as a defensive structure, marks an important stage in research into regional Neolithic enclosures. Indeed, up until now, such structures were only represented, from the Early Neolithic to the end of the fifth millennium, by ‘Rosheim-type’ monuments, identified by recent research as ceremonial centres. The number of excavations, the large volume of certain storage pits and the surface covered by the enclosure (which we know extends over at least 3 or 4 hectares) suggest that the site hosted a large population. This unprecedented configuration depicts the organisation of the territory and of Bruebach-Oberbergen society in a very different way from reconstructions based on regional sites, which point rather to settlements composed of farms or small scattered hamlets. We examine the historical context that led to the emergence of this large fortified village and propose a correlation with an episode of collective violence that affected Lower Alsace around 4250 BC. This episode is illustrated at Achenheim itself by very specific human deposits with vestiges of warrior rites (victory celebrations). In addition to the important reconstruction of the historical processes at work in the last third of the fifth millennium, the relative abundance of exhumed material from the site also provides the opportunity to better define the stylistic evolution of pottery, to characterise lithic and bone tools, as well as the husbandry system of the Bruebach-Oberbergen group.

Water Engineering at Precolumbian AD 600–1100 Tiwanaku’s Urban Center (Bolivia)

The pre-Columbian World Heritage site of Tiwanaku (AD 600–1100) located in highland altiplano Bolivia is shown to have a unique urban water supply system with many advanced hydraulic and hydrological features. By use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of the city water system, new revelations as to the complexity of the water system are brought forward. The water system consists of a perimeter drainage channel surrounding the ceremonial center of the city. A network of surface canals and subterranean channels connected to the perimeter drainage channel are supplied by multiple canals from a rainfall collection reservoir. The perimeter drainage channel provides rapid draining of rainy season rainfall runoff together with aquifer drainage of intercepted rainfall; water collected in the perimeter drainage channel is then directed to the Tiwanaku River then on to Lake Titicaca. During the dry season aquifer drainage continues into the perimeter drainage channel; additional water is directed into the drainage channel from a recently discovered, reservoir connected M channel. Two subterranean channels beneath the ceremonial center were supplied by M channel water delivered into the perimeter drainage channel that served to remove waste from the ceremonial center structures conveyed to the nearby Tiwanaku River. From control of the water supply to/from the perimeter drainage channel during wet and dry seasonal changes, stabilization of the deep groundwater level was achieved—this resulted in the stabilization of monumental ceremonial structure’s foundations, a continuous water supply to inner city agricultural zones, water pools for urban use and health benefits for the city population through moisture level reduction in city ceremonial and secular urban housing structures.

PXRF Sourcing of Obsidian from Pallaucha, Vilcashuaman: Insights into Exchange Patterns in South-Central Peru during the Early Horizon

Recent archaeological research demonstrates that the south-central highlands was a region of important sociocultural developments during the Early Horizon (ca. 800-200 BC). One reason for the prominence of this region was the local availability of obsidian, a widely exchanged lithic material. In this paper, we discuss the results of a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) sourcing study of a sample of 26 obsidian artifacts from the site of Pallaucha, an Early Horizon civic ceremonial center located near Vilcashuaman in the Department of Ayacucho, Peru. PXRF analysis demonstrates that the Quispisisa source was the most commonly exploited locality to acquire obsidian at Pallaucha even though other sources were in closer proximity. Our results complement the results of a study of a large sample of obsidian from the nearby, and partially contemporary, civic-ceremonial center of Campanayuq Rumi.

Archaeological surveying with airborne LiDAR and UAV photogrammetry: A comparative analysis at Cahokia Mounds

Remote sensing technologies are becoming indispensable for archaeological fieldwork, helping archaeologists be more efficient and focused in their excavations. Assessing technological feasibility and capability is therefore an essential skill for archaeologists. This research compares digital elevation models from publicly available airplane Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and unpiloted aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) images to analyze the quality, costs, and benefits of both. Data were collected at the Grand Plaza, which served as the ceremonial center for the civilization at Cahokia Mounds, Illinois, USA, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. GPS elevation data and the Local Binary Pattern (LBP) texture operator were applied to evaluate topographical fidelity in the DEM imagery. We find that photogrammetry is a suitable replacement for LiDAR in specific areas, namely areas with low-lying vegetation. Thus, archaeologists have multiple surveying options and must carefully weigh the technologies available to them based on time and resource constraints.

Beyond Never-Never Land: Integrating LiDAR and Geophysical Surveys at the Johnston Site, Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park, Tennessee, USA

Archaeologists often use near-surface geophysics or LiDAR-derived topographic imagery in their research. However, rarely are the two integrated in a way that offers a robust understanding of the complex historical palimpsests embedded within a social landscape. In this paper we present an integrated aerial and terrestrial remote sensing program at the Johnston Site, part of the larger Pinson Mounds landscape in the American MidSouth. Our work at Johnston was focused on better understanding the history of human landscape use and change so that we can begin to compare the Johnston Site with other large Middle Woodland (200 BC–AD 500) ceremonial centers in the region. Our research allowed us to examine the accuracy of an early map of the Johnston Site made in the early 20th century. However, our integrated remote sensing approach allows us to go well beyond testing the usefulness of the map; it helps identify different uses of the site through time and across space. Our research emphasizes the importance of an integrated remote sensing methodology when examining complex social landscapes of the past and present.

“A very different kettle of fish”: whole vessels from the Main Burial Complex at Crystal River (8CI1)

ABSTRACT The “allure of the exotic” dominates both the substance and practice of the archaeology of the Hopewell phenomenon in eastern North America. Ceramics have often been considered less important to Hopewellian exchange, perhaps because they are typically considered local products. I review whole vessels recovered by C. B. Moore from the Crystal River site (8CI1) and curated at the National Museum of the American Indian. Although limited to macroscopic description of form, paste, and decoration, this analysis suggests that ceramic vessels were commonly imported, probably mostly from other ceremonial centers within the region. More than just byproducts of broader interactions, extra-local ceramic vessels were integral to the development of Crystal River by materializing regional alliances and the metaphorical understanding of community as container.

Maize and dietary change in early Peruvian civilization: Isotopic evidence from the Late Preceramic Period/Initial Period site of La Galgada, Peru

The Late Preceramic Period (3000–1700 BCE) and Initial Period (1700–800 BCE) in Peru was a time of emergent social complexity as illustrated by the construction of ceremonial architecture and permanent settlements. A long-standing debate centers on the nature of the subsistence economies that supported this incipient complexity. Though some scholars consider maize to have been an agricultural staple at this time, a growing body of archaeological research indicates that the use of maize spread irregularly throughout Peru and did not become a dietary staple until sometime after c. 800 cal BCE. Using stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of human bone and dentine, together with radiocarbon dating, this study estimates dietary composition, as well as changing subsistence strategies among 32 individuals interred within the ceremonial center of La Galgada (2300–1300 cal BCE). Our data suggests that maize was not a dietary staple in either the Late Preceramic or the Initial (1700–800 cal BCE) Period occupations at La Galgada. Instead the modeled diet (SIAR Mixing Model) suggests a continued reliance on locally available food sources (i.e. primarily C3, legumes and grazing fauna). This finding combined with archaeological evidence indicates that diet remained relatively similar during the site’s occupation. Three radiocarbon dates generated for this study also indicate the re-use of La Galgada as a cemetery during the Late Intermediate Period (LIP) (1150–1450 cal CE). Diet during the LIP exhibits a significant change, with a decrease in the proportion of C3 and legumes and an increase in the proportion of meat. This study highlights the utility of mixing models to reconstruct past human diet, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of potential differences in the proportions of food types over time.

In the shadow of Prague Castle? The earliest history of Vyšehrad Castle (c.950–1070)

There is no doubt that from the beginnings of the early Czech state, Prague Castle has constituted the state's main political, residential and ceremonial centre. After the mid‐tenth century, however, another castle in its vicinity was founded at Vyšehrad. Surprisingly, the twelfth‐century reports portray the latter castle as a location of residential and political significance comparable to the former. Such a situation has no parallel in the continental Europe of that period. Based on an investigation of archaeological and written sources, this article argues that Vyšehrad is likely to have acquired such a position shortly after its foundation and that since the very beginnings, it functioned as a kind of shadow ruling centre used in particular by those members of the ruling dynasty who challenged the actual power constellations or even the traditional political conventions.

A Pyro-Engraved Gourd from Cahuachi: An Iconographic and Technical Analysis of a Nasca Masterpiece

This article addresses a complex pyro-engraved gourd of Nasca culture, with unusual dimensions and decorative treatment. The gourd was discovered as an offering associated with ceramics from the last phases of the Early Horizon (Ocucaje 8–10) and the beginning of the Early Intermediate Period (Nasca 1–4) during the 1994 Nasca Project’s excavations (CISRAP) in Cahuachi, a ceremonial center located in the basin of the Río Grande de Nazca. We study this particular artifact from a comparative perspective, based on its archaeological context, technical characteristics, and imagery, in order to explore Early Nasca production practices, iconographic repertoire, and worldview.

Book Review: Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire, edited by Matthew Robb

Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire , by Matthew Robb, ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, in association with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 2017. 444 pages, 350 color illus. Hardcover $75.00. Reviewed by Ellen Hoobler. In 1973, the archaeologist Rene Millon published two

Interactions symboliques en milieu insulaire : les roches gravées précolombiennes de Guadeloupe et leur relation au paysage

Située au coeur de la Caraïbe, l’île volcanique de Guadeloupe, ou Basse-Terre, recèle le plus important ensemble d’art rupestre précolombien des Petites Antilles. Ces manifestations graphiques sont généralement attribuées aux communautés céramistes horticoles très mobiles ayant vécu dans les Antilles au Néoindien entre env. 300 av. et 1200 apr. J.-C. Suite aux récentes recherches de terrain menées sur ces sites ornés de plein-air, de nombreuses données nouvelles ont été acquises. Leur analyse spatiale est proposée ici sur des bases quantitatives afin d’aborder les modalités socioculturelles d’ornementation et de fréquentation des sites ornés et, plus largement, le rapport à l’espace insulaire des sociétés précolombiennes ainsi que leurs interactions physiques et symboliques au sein de ce dernier. Les résultats obtenus font ressortir l’existence de plusieurs contextes topographiques distincts du point de vue de l’altitude et de la distance aux ressources en eau douce (source et/ ou rivière). Ils montrent par ailleurs que les sites côtiers occupent préférentiellement les zones du littoral les plus favorables au niveau pluviométrique, mais aussi les plus proches des îles avoisinantes. Une corrélation directe entre la position topographique des sites ornés, le degré d’élaboration et les dimensions des figures qu’ils comprennent est également relevée. Cette corrélation se traduit par une plus forte proportion de grandes figures élaborées aux embouchures et/ ou près de sources côtières comparativement aux sites de plateau et de rivière. Mis en perspective avec les réflexions actuelles sur la dimension archipélique des territoires précolombiens, ceci suggère une utilisation des sites ornés du littoral par une pluralité de groupes différents dans le cadre de leur approvisionnement en eau lors de trajets interinsulaires ou lors de rassemblements périodiques. Par contraste avec l’art rupestre de l’intérieur des terres, la forte proportion de grandes figures élaborées présentes sur les côtes est alors à envisager comme l’expression performative d’un rapport à des espaces partagés et aux autres groupes humains susceptibles de les fréquenter également.

Unsaturated seepage analysis at the Guayabo National Archaeological Monument, Costa Rica

The Guayabo National Archaeological Monument is considered one of the most important historical and political ceremonial centers of pre-Columbian Costa Rica, Central America, and it depicts the ingenuity and the quality of life of Costa Rica´s inhabitants between 800 BC and AD 1400. This site was named International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2009 by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Evaluation of the unsaturated flow at the Northwestern slope using a two-dimensional model was performed. It was determined from field and modeling that at a relatively shallow depth the soil is relatively impermeable; thus, producing a large amount of run-off that tends to deteriorate the archaeological structures, and induce landslides. As part of the site investigation, exploratory borings were performed, and piezometers were installed in the upper, middle, and bottom parts of the slope. A series of laboratory testing was also performed to obtain index soil and permeability properties. The soil-water characteristic used to develop the K-Curve was also obtained. Additionally, a groundwater model was created using the geotechnical model and a water balance analysis for the area, where different scenarios of recharge and precipitation were analyzed taking into consideration the observed data. The volume of slope run-off through towards the archaeological site was estimated and the areas where it emerges, as well as the field groundwater.

Feasting and Mobility in Iron Age Ireland: Multi-isotope analysis reveals the vast catchment of Navan Fort, Ulster

Navan Fort is an iconic prehistoric Irish ceremonial centre and the legendary capital of Ulster. The fort has produced an exceptional pig-dominated faunal assemblage that also contained a barbary macaque skull. Dating from the 4th to 1st century BC, it is likely to be a ceremonial feasting centre that may have drawn people and their animals from across Ulster and beyond. This study uses a multi-isotope (87Sr/86Sr, δ34S, δ13C, δ15N) approach to identify non-local animals and reconstruct site catchment. New biosphere mapping means that isotope data can be more confidently interpreted and the combination of strontium and sulphur analysis has the potential to estimate origins. In the absence of human remains, fauna provide the best proxy for human movement. Results for the 35 analysed animals are wide-ranging, especially in terms of strontium (0.707–0.715), which has the largest range for an Irish site. Sulphur values are more restricted (13.1‰−17.1‰) but are high in the context of British and Irish data. Results provide clear evidence for animals (and thus people) coming from across Ulster and beyond, demonstrating the site’s wide catchment. Navan Fort was clearly a major ceremonial centre with far-reaching influence and hosted feasts that drew people and animals from afar.

Reducciones de indios y santuarios andinos en el proceso de la evangelización. Del centro ceremonial al espacio sacramentado

Como parte de los procesos de conquista e imposicion ideologica producidos en el mundo andino a principios del siglo xvi, se gestaron planteamientos urbanos, arquitectonicos y espaciales encaminados a la fijacion y fortalecimiento de la religion cristiana, con el fin de controlar y consolidar el poder ideologico, politico y economico sobre los territorios que en aquel entonces se estaban incorporando a la Corona espanola. Coherente con la manera de imponer estas ideas a los pueblos conquistados, la cultura dominante contemplo la extirpacion de idolatrias, definida como un conjunto de estrategias para robustecer y vigorizar la evangelizacion frente a los cultos nativos, considerados como paganos y contrarios a la nueva fe. Para ello, en la segunda mitad del siglo xvi estas acciones violentas y de adoctrinamiento sostenido fundamentaron su accionar en los postulados radicales de los Concilios Limenses, donde se consideraba la aniquilacion y desaparicion de las wakas o lugares sagrados, mediante la planificacion de centros urbanos estrategicamente ubicados en el territorio, junto con la construccion de edificaciones religiosas para fortalecer el nuevo culto, levantadas sobre estos.

Tipon: Insight into Inka Hydraulic Engineering Practice

The site of Tipon, Peru, located about 30 km east of Cuzco, provides an example of Inka knowledge of hydraulic engineering and the civil engineering practices used in the design and operation of the complex water system. The inhabitants of Tipon used river- and spring-sourced surface and subterranean channels to convey, distribute, and drain water to and from multiple agricultural platforms, reservoirs, and urban ceremonial centers. Intricate intersecting surface and subterranean channel systems that combined and regulated water flows from different sources controlled the water to and drainage from 13 terraced agricultural platforms. This design served to maintain different ground moisture levels to sustain specialty crops. Within the site are fountains and multiple water display features requiring sophisticated hydraulic engineering necessary for aesthetic displays. To understand the technology used by the Inka to design the water systems at Tipon, I used computational fluid dynamics methodology and modern hydraulic engineering theory. I made computer models of key elements of the Principal Fountain and the Main Aqueduct to reproduce water flow patterns in these features as intended by Inka engineers’ designs and calculations. The Inka hydraulic technology used complex engineering principles similar to those in modern civil engineering practice centuries ahead of their formal discovery in Western hydraulic science.