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AMS Radiocarbon Dates from Prehispanic Fortifications in the Huaura Valley, Central Coast of Perú

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2016

Margaret Brown Vega ,
Nathan M Craig ,
Brendan J Culleton ,
Douglas J Kennett  and
Gerbert Asencios Lindo
Margaret Brown Vega*
Affiliation:
1Department of Anthropology, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805, USA
Nathan M Craig
Affiliation:
2Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
Brendan J Culleton
Affiliation:
2Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
Douglas J Kennett
Affiliation:
2Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
Gerbert Asencios Lindo
Affiliation:
3Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
*
Corresponding author. Email: brownvm@ipfw.edu.
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Abstract

In this paper, we report 11 AMS radiocarbon dates from 8 Prehispanic fortifications located in the Huaura Valley, central coast of Perú. Small fragments of organic material embedded in preserved mud mortar in architecture, and samples from construction layers exposed by looter's holes were used to date architectural features without undertaking extensive excavations. These dates contribute toward refining the chronology of fort building in the valley, and provide a test for assumptions about temporal change and architectural style. The results indicate that fortifications date to at least 3 periods. These data provide a starting point for exploring the occurrence of warfare through time on a regional scale.

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Articles
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Radiocarbon , Volume 55 , Issue 1 , 2013 , pp. 1 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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