saa 2011 presentation

Life in a Prehistoric State at Armatambo

Lurín Valley, Perú

Keith ChanUniversity of Missouri - Columbia

Outline

•Background: Health and social complexity on the Central Andean coast

•Hypotheses: Does state organization benefit health and command more labor?

•Methods: Testing the hypotheses using bioarchaeology

•Results: State level societies reverse a trend in worsening health seen in non-state societies

To the Andean Region!

•The Andean region is one of several key areas for studying change in social complexity

•The Central Andean coast has a wealth of comparative material from different types of societies

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Área_Cultural_Andina.png

Health and Social Complexity on the Central Andean Coast

•Pechenkina et al. (2007):

•“The Middle Preceramic… exhibits the lowest rates of all indicators of physiological stress….”

•“A significant deterioration of health during the subsequent periods is suggested by the majority of skeletal indicators,” (p. 111).

What About the Late Intermediate Period?

•On the Central Coast, the Ychsma state controlled the Rímac and Lurín Valleys

•The Ychsma state had urban centers, including Pachacamac and Armatambo

•Maybe the greater command of labor acted to improve health and increase the population...

Pyramid with Ramp at Pachacamac

Hypotheses

•Subadult health in the Ychsma state will be better than in the earlier non-states

•Adult activity levels in the Ychsma state will be greater than in the earlier non-states

Armatambo (Urban State)

•Excavated by Maria Perez

•Part of a salvage operation in 1997

•Now part of the Chorrillos district of Lima

•Collection has 41 adults and 14 subadults

Comparative Sample

•Paloma (fishing village)

•Cardal (beginning social stratification)

•Villa El Salvador/Tablada De Lurín (localized polity)

Indicators of Health and Activity

•Several indicators show subadult health, when bone is most susceptible to disease

•Cribra orbitalia (CO)

•Porotic hyperostosis (PH)

•Periosteal lesions

•Degenerative joint disease shows high physical activity in adults

Expectations

•Compared to collections from non-states, the Armatambo collection should show:

•Less cribra orbitalia

•Less porotic hyperostosis

•Fewer subadult periosteal lesions

•Compared to collections from non-states, the Armatambo collection should show more adult DJD

Results (Subadult Health)

Subadult CO

Results (Subadult Health) 2

Subadult PH

Results (Subadult Health) 3

Subadult Periosteal Lesions

Results (Adult Health) 1

Cervical Vertebra DJD

Results (Adult Health) 2

Thoracic Vertebra DJD

Results (Adult Health) 3

Lumbar Vertebrae DJD

Conclusion 1

•Question: How is health related to social complexity?

•Background: Worsening health in non-states with increasing complexity

•Expected: Better subadult health and more adult activity in the state compared to non-states

Conclusion 2

•Findings: The Armatambo collection reversed a trend of worsening subadult chronic anemia with increasing social complexity

•Signs of chronic bacterial infections showed no clear pattern with social complexity

•Armatambo adults had more thoracic DJD than non-state adults

•Further Research Questions: Why just the thoracic vertebrae?

Acknowledgements

• My dissertation committee: Bob Benfer, Debby Pearsall, Ed Brent, Ray Wood, and Chris VanPool

• Kathy Forgey and Dawn Sturk

• Life Sciences Fellowship at MU

• El Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia

• Maritza Perez

• Mercedes Delgado

• Kate Pechenkina, Joe Vradenburg, Matt Rhode, and Ahmad Abu Dalou

• My field school students: 2007: Andrea, Beckie, Crystal, Fernando, and Ruth; 2009: Brandi, Brian, Cari, Chelsea, Clarissa, Heather, Jessica, Justin, Kelly, and Tia

Thanks to: