Geoarchaeological interpretations of the formation and environment of Samaca H–8, Ica Valley, south coast Peru (c. AD 900–1550)

Interpretaciones geoarqueológicas de la formación y el ambiente de Samaca H–8, Valle de Ica, costa sur de Perú (c. 900-1550 d. C.)

Lady Santana Quispe^1,*, Charles French², David Beresford-Jones³, Carlos Enrique Rengifo Chunga⁴

¹ National University of San Marcos, 1564, Lima, Peru.

² Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, Cambridge, UK.

³ Fellow, Heinz Heinen Centre for Advanced Study, University of Bonn, Heussallee 18–24, D-53113, Bonn, Germany.

⁴ National University of Trujillo, Jr. San Martin, 380,13001,Trujillo, Peru.

* Corresponding author: (L. Santana Quispe) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

How to cite this article:

Santana Quispe, L., French, C., Beresford-Jones, D., Rengifo Chunga, C.E., 2022, Geoarchaeological interpretations of the formation and environment of Samaca H–8, Ica Valley, south coast Peru (c. AD 900–1550): Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, 74 (3), A080622. http://dx.doi.org/10.18268/BSGM2022v74n3a080622

Manuscript received: October, 31, 2021; Corrected manuscript received: May 20, 2022; Manuscript accepted: June 8, 2022.

ABSTRACT

Today the Lower Ica Valley (Peru) exhibits evidence of environmental degradation, strong activity of deposition and erosion processes through modifying agents such as water and wind. All of this is the product of a long process of environmental transformation both during and since pre-Columbian times. Archaeological remains present in this valley evidence a long and important pre-Columbian cultural trajectory. We provide a case study of the geoarchaeology of the Samaca H-8 archaeological site that was founded sometime towards the end of the Middle Horizon (c. AD 900-1000) and consolidated its development during the Late Intermediate period (AD 1000-1400). This work contemplates the analysis of soils and sediments using micromorphology, geochemical-geophysical analyzes and radiocarbon dating. The results reveal that the construction and first occupation of Samaca H-8 (or at least the eastern part of the site), during the transition from the Middle Horizon period to the Late Intermediate Period, was marked by environmental dynamics and drastic landscape change toward more arid conditions. Recurrent deposition of windblown materials took place, perhaps due to a lack of protection offered by riparian dry forest cover. The Samaca H-8 site was established under these environmental conditions around AD 900.

Keywords: geoarchaeology, Lower Ica Valley, Samaca-H8, Middle Horizon and Late Intermediate Period.