Reseña

Reseña

X-ray diffraction and petrographic analyses of soils, clays and tempers collected around the archaeological site of Kuntur Wasi, near San Pablo, in the northern Peruvian Andes, aim at investigating the composition of local materials and the possibility of on-site production. The results of the XRD study shows that the analyzed clay found around the site is an illite, while the other collected soils from San Pablo are not clays of ceramic production range. The volcanic temper used by modern potters eight kilometers north of the archaeological site is very similar to the temper observed in many of the ancient ceramics from Kuntur Wasi. Also, analysis of clays from the middle Jequetepeque valley shows the presence of kaolin, which is absent from the analyzed clays in the Kuntur Wasi region.

This article presents the results of the first season of archaeological fieldwork conducted at the site of Pacopampa, Cajamarca, by the Pacopampa Archaeological Project, which is organizad by the San Marcos University and the Japanese Nacional Museum of Ethnology. The data recovered from excavations, cleaning, and topographic mapping, allow us to confirm the prior chronology (of two phases) and suggest a third latest phase (Final Formative). Most of visible constructions correspond to the second phase (Pacopampa II). In addition, two construction sub-phases have been defined within this phase, while no structure have been clearly defined to the first phase (Pacopampa I). The ceramic patterns indicate strong linkages with archaeological sites located in the southern region ofCajamarca like Huacaloma and Kuntur Wasi. Nonetheless, radiocarbon dates put into question the chronological consid...