Yseki M., Morales C. R., Crispin A., Abad T., Prado A., Zuñiga A., Machacuay M., Turcq Bruno, Carré M., Novoa P., Shady R. (2025). Plant evidence of environmental and hydrological changes in Vichama, Peru (1800-1500 BCE). Journal of Archaeological Science : Reports, 68, p. 105473 [9 p.]. ISSN 2352-409X.
Titre du document
Plant evidence of environmental and hydrological changes in Vichama, Peru (1800-1500 BCE)
Année de publication
2025
Auteurs
Yseki M., Morales C. R., Crispin A., Abad T., Prado A., Zuñiga A., Machacuay M., Turcq Bruno, Carré M., Novoa P., Shady R.
Source
Journal of Archaeological Science : Reports, 2025,
68, p. 105473 [9 p.] ISSN 2352-409X
Reconstructing past climatic fluctuations and their impact on human subsistence is essential for understanding long-term resilience and adaptation strategies. This study reconstructs past vegetation and environmental changes at Vichama (1800-1500 BCE), a pre-Hispanic agro-fishing settlement on Peru's north-central coast. Our results indicate that the clay used in the preparation of floor mortars was collected from nearby wetlands. Pollen analysis of mortars spanning six architectural periods (P1 to P6) reveals a major shift in coastal wetland vegetation. During P1, P2, and P6, pollen assemblages were dominated by hydrophilic wetland taxa, primarily sedges and cattails (41.4-90.5 %), indicating humid conditions. In contrast, P3 to P5 show a sharp decline in these taxa (4.8-32.8 %) alongside a significant increase in wild Poaceae pollen (45.5-90.2 %), reflecting a transition to drier and more saline conditions. Pollen data also support the use of these wetlands for cultivation, underscoring their strategic role in local subsistence practices. The relative chronology of P4 and P5, the periods with the strongest signal of aridity in our pollen record, places them between similar to 1650 and 1550 BCE. This timing coincides with evidence of droughts in the Andes, suggesting that reduced precipitation in the upper watershed led to lower river discharge, diminished groundwater infiltration, and the contraction of wetlands near Vichama. These drier conditions correspond with agricultural stress indicators, such as smaller guava seeds and reduced crop richness, and may also be reflected in Vichama's friezes depicting famine and social distress.
Plan de classement
Sciences du milieu [021]
;
Sciences du monde végétal [076]
;
Sociétés, développement culturel [112]
Description Géographique
PEROU
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010095556]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010095556
