architecture and chronology at the site of sechín alto,

8/11/2019 Architecture and Chronology at the Site of Sechn Alto,

1/20

Architecture and Chronology at the Site of Sechn Alto, Casma Valley, Peru

Author(s): Thomas Pozorski and Shelia PozorskiSource: Journal of Field Archaeology, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Summer, 2005), pp. 143-161Published by: Boston UniversityStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40024939

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2/20

Architecture

and

Chronology

at the

Site

of Sechin Alto, Casma Valley,Peru

Thomas

Pozorski

Shelia

Pozorski

University

of Texas-PanAmerican

Edinburg,

Texas

TheInitial

Period,

between

150

and 1000

cal

B.C.,

was

a eritical ime in the

development

of

civilization

within

theAndean

area

of

South

America.About 2100

cal

B.C.,

within sev-

eral

river

valleys long

the north-central

oast

of

Peru,

sudden

changes

occurredn subsis-

tence,

ettlement

pattern,

and

level

of

cultural

complexity.

hese

changes

were

especially

notablewithintheCasmaValleywhere aborwasmobilizedo buildlarge lat-topped yra-

midsand

plaza

systems

hat

occupied

he centers

oflarge

cities.Thesite

of

Sechin

Alto,

with

an

estimated

population

of

18,000,

is the

largest

nitial Period ite in

the

Casma

Valley

n

thenorth-central

oast

of

Peru. Our

research as

shown

hat

successive

changes

n the con-

struction

nd

use

of

the

main SechinAlto mound

can

be

used o document he riseand

fall

of

a state-level

nitial

Period

polity.

We

illustrate

his

development

y

describing

he chrono-

logical equenceor

the main mound

of

Sechin

Alto,

the site's

relationship

with

other ites

within

the

Casma

Valley

rea,

and the reuse

and abandonment

of

the site

during

the

Early

Horizon

(1000-200

cal

B.C.).

These

features

of

what

may

be the

earliestAndean

state

provide

ritical

comparative

ata

for

scholars

of

societal

development

orldwide.

143

Introduction

The Initial

Period

(2150-1000

cal

B.C.)

in ancient

Peru

witnessed

rapid

andfundamental

changes

in the

lifestyle

of

the

inhabitants

of

the north and central

coasts. Our field-

work

at

earlier Cotton

Preceramic

(3000-2150

cal

B.C.)

sites

in the Casma

Valley

area,

as well as

published

results

of

recent fieldwork

in the

Supe-Pativilca-Fortaleza

area

south of Casma

(Haas,

Creamer,

and

Ruiz

2004,

2005;

Shady

1997;

Shady,

Haas,

and Creamer

2001),

have doc-

umented

preceramicprecedents

for

the monumental

archi-

tecture

that

arose further

inland within the Casma

Valley.

Essential

architectural

lements such as

bilateral

symmetry

and

balance,

mound

building,

and

specific

mound and

plaza

structure

types

at some

prepottery

sites

presage

later

Initial

Period

developments.

Nevertheless,

these

preceram-

ic

antecedents

are dwarfed

by

their

early

ceramic

succes-

sors,

especially

the Sechin

Alto

polity

within the Casma

Valley.

The

successiveconstruction

and use

phases

of the

largest

mound within

the

Sechin

Alto

polity

reveal

key

elements of

the rise and

fall

of an Initial

Period state. When

these de-

velopments

are

put

in a

larger

context,

the

polity

is

revealed

as a

collection

of sites with

complementary

roles

that form

a cohesive whole. A sizeable labor force was mobilized

from a

large population

to create and maintain sites that

adhered

to strict architectural

anons.

Among

these

sites,

a

five-tier

hierarchy

can be

distinguished, ranging

from

small

coastal

fishing

satellites to Sechin Alto

site,

the

polity cap-

ital. Persistence of architecturalelements and site

layout

through

time and

space argue

for

hegemony

across

many

generations. Specific

architecturalcontexts and associated

artifacts

argue

that a

distinctive architectural

form,

the

square-room

unit,

functioned

simultaneously

as a

structure

type

and

an emblem of

authority.

In

the absence of

metal-

lurgy

and well-

developed

ceramic

and textile

technologies,

Sechin

Alto

polity

leaders manifested

conspicuous

con-

sumption,

ideology,

and

artistic

achievement

through

monumental construction that featured modular

units,

precision

in

layout,

and

polychrome

friezes. This

powerful

polity, possibly

the earliestAndean

state,

declined about

1400 cal B.C. because

of the

combined effects of internal

conflict

and

a severe El

Nino

event.

At the

beginning

of the Initial

Period,

the full

potential

of

irrigation agriculture

was

realized;

and this

innovation,

along

with

the

concepts

of

pottery-making

and true weav-

ing,

spread along

much of the Peruviancoast. The

majori-

ty

of the

existing

coastal

populations

relocated severalkilo-


3/20

144

Architecture

nd

Chronology

t Sechin

Alto,

Casma

Valley,

Peru/Pozorski

nd Pozorski

Figure

1.

Map

of the Casma

Valley

area

showing

the location of

early

sites.

meters

inland to

optimal places

to

practice

irrigation

agri-

culture that

supplied

a

reliable

and

expandable

food

base

(Burger

1992;

Morris and von

Hagen

1993;

Moseley

1992;

Richardson

1994).

Within a

few

generations,

large

settlements

served

as

centers

of substantial

polities

with

growing populations

that were

socially,

economically,

and

politically

complex.

The

largest

settlements

within the

Cas-

ma

Valley

are the

Sechin Alto

Complex,

a

group

of four re-

lated sites that

dominated the

Sechin

River,

and

Pampa

de

las

Llamas-Moxeke,

the

largest

site on

the Casma River

(figs. 1-3).These sites were further inked with a

group

of

coastal

sites

that

supplied

vital

marine

protein

(Pozorski

and Pozorski

1987,

1991).

The

InitialPeriod

within the

Casma

Valley

area s char-

acterized

by

two

developments

which

we

designate

as

the

Moxeke and

Las Haldas

cultures.

The Moxeke Culture is

most

relevant

because t

culminated

n the

Sechin Alto

poli-

ty

and construction

of Sechin Alto

site;

it was

defined at

Pampa

de las

Llamas-Moxeke

and it is

characterized

by

ce-

ramic

forms of

neckless

jars

decorated

predominantly by

deep

gouges

on the vessel shoulder

(fig. 4)

as

well

as

ce-

ramic

figurines,

stone bowls or

mortars,

and

a

distinct

modular architectural orm known as the square-roomunit

which

had

an

administrative function

(Pozorski

and Po-

zorski

1986,

1994).

The Moxeke Culture is also known

from the

inland Sechin

Alto

Complex

sites

of

Sechin

Alto,

Sechin

Bajo,

Cerro

Sechin,

and Taukachi-Konkan s well

as

the coastal

sites of Bahia

Seca,

Tortugas,

and

Huaynuna

(Pozorski

and Pozorski

1992,

2002).

The decline of the

Sechin Alto

polity

near the

end

of the

Initial

Period allowed the

people

of the

Las

Haldas Culture

to intrude into

Sechin

Alto

territory

and

construct an ad-

ministrative

outpost

at Sechin Alto. This culture was ini-

tially

defined

at

Las Haldas on the basis of ceramics. Small

punctations,

often in zoned

patterns,

on bottles

predomi-

nate (fig. 5), and there is a

greater

proportion

of decorat-

ed ceramicswithin the Las Haldas

Culture

compared

to the

Moxeke

Culture

(Pozorski

and Pozorski

1987).

Addition-

al architectural raits such as shared-wall

construction,

less

use

of rounded

corners,

and

rear- riented access further

distinguish

the Las

Haldas Culture

from the Moxeke Cul-

ture. Las

Haldas

cultural material has been found at Bahia

Seca

on

the coast and at the

Sechin

Alto

Complex

sites of

Sechin

Alto

and Taukachi-Konkan.

Sechin Alto site was

heavily occupied during

the

subse-

quent

Early

Horizon,

a time of marked

change

in subsis-

tence,

artifacts,

and settlement

pattern

with

a

stronger

in-

land

orientation.

The Initial

Period

emphasis

on immense

platform

mounds,

rigid

site

planning,

and bilateral site

symmetry

gave

way

to

villages

where room and

courtyard

complexes

have varied orientations.

Early

Horizon

squat-

ters

treated

the

main

mound

as if it

were

a hill and con-

structed a

village

on its summit.

Maize, camelids,

and

guinea

pigs

were added to the subsistence

inventory,

and

new

artifacts

appeared, ncluding panpipes

and slate

points

(fig.

6).

The

new ceramics are also distinctive because

of

their exterior

decoration

including

textile

impressions,

zoned

gray

or

white

paint,

and

stamped

circles and dots

(fig. 7).

Later cultural

developments

within the Casma

Valley

had

little

impact

on Sechin Alto site.

Brief reoccu-

pations

were

represented only by

intrusive

burials and oc-

casional

dry-laid

stone rooms.

SechinAlto Site

The Initial

Period

site of

Sechin

Alto,

located

on the

Sechin River branch of the

Casma

Valley,

is

part

of a 10.5

sq

km

group

of sites

known

as the

Sechin

Alto

Complex

(figs.

1-3).

Of the four sites that make

up

the

complex-

Sechin

Alto,

Sechin

Bajo,

Cerro

Sechin,

and

Taukachi-

Konkan-

Sechin

Alto is

by

far the

largest

(Pozorski

and

Pozorski

1987:

82,

2002:

21).

The main mound of Sechin


4/20

Journal

ofField

Archaeology

Vol

30,

2005

145

Figure

2.

View

of the

main

mound

of

Sechin

Alto from the east.

Alto is300x250m and 35

m in

height

and

is

the

largest

mound construction

for its time

period

in the

New World.

Four

large

rectangularplazas

demarcated

by

massive stone

walls

and smaller

stone

mounds extend

almost

1200

m

east

from

the main mound. There are also two sunken circular

plazas,

one

in the

second

rectangularplaza

and

one in the

fourth

rectangularplaza.

The

general

configuration

of the

mound includes

a cen-

tral staircase hat leads from a lower atrium flanked

by

10

m

high wings

to an

upper

atrium, which is also bordered

by wings

on the north and south and

by

the mound sum-

mit to the west

(fig. 8).

Between

the

lower and

upper

atria

there is an increase

n

elevation

of about

11.5 m.

A

second

long

staircase eads

to the mound summit at an

elevation

some 12.75

m

above

the

upper

atrium floor. Most con-

struction is of stones

quarried

rom

nearby

hillsides and set

in

silty clay

mortar. A

solid

rectangular

core

made of

cone-shaped

adobe

bricks

held

in

place

by silty clay

mortar

and

measuring

some

90

m

n-s

by

30

m

e-w and

9

m in

height occupies

the

center of the mound

summit.

Conical

adobe brickswere also

occasionally

used to

construct stair-

cases

and the

upper portions

of

stone

walls.

Previous

Investigations

Surface

survey

of Sechin Alto site was

undertaken

over

the

past

65

years

(Fung

and Williams

1977:

116-120;

Kosok 1965:

214-215;

Tello

1956:

79-82;

Thompson

1962:

294)

and Collier

excavated two test

pits

there in

1956 (Collier1962:

411).

Most

investigators agreed

on an

early

date

for

the site

based

on

the form

and

layout

of its

surface

architecture

and

the

small

amount of

cultural ma-

terial

excavated

by

Collier.

Current

Investigations

Eight

field seasons

(1995-2002)

of

excavation

support-

ed the

early

dating,

and led us to

assign

the

bulk of Sechin

Alto

mound construction to

the Initial

Period

(table

i).

The

general

form of

the main

mound

clearly

indicates an


5/20

146

Architecture nd

Chronology

t Sechin

Alto,

Casma

Valley,

Peru/Pozorski

nd Pozorski

Figure

3. Plan

of the

Sechin Alto

Complex showing

the

location of its four

component

sites,

Cerro

Sechin,

Taukachi-Konkan,

echin

Bajo,

and Sechin Alto

as well as

A)

the south

wing

of the first

plaza

east of the main

mound,

and

B)

the domestic area of Sechin Alto.

Initial

Period

construction,

but most architectural

detail re-

lated to that

construction is

unclear. The main

difficulty

stems from a

major

Early

Horizon

(1000-200

cal

B.C.)

re-

occupation

of

the

mound summit after a

hiatus in

occupa-

tion of

about

500

years.

These

new

occupants

left volumi-

nous

midden

deposits

as

well as structures built

with ma-

terialtaken from the earlierInitialPeriodconstructions.

Our

excavations at

Sechin Alto focused on

the delin-

eation

of

access

patterns

(staircases

and

entrances)

of the

InitialPeriod

architecture,

stratigraphic

excavation of

por-

tions

of the

mound

to

establish

chronological

controls,

de-

tailed examination

of

specific

areas o obtain

functional in-

formation

pertaining

to

the Initial Period

occupation,

and

horizontal

clearing

of some

Early

Horizon

architecture o

better

understand that

reoccupation.

These

excavations

were

accomplished

in

eight

10-week

field seasons

with the

aid

of

a Peruvian

codirector,

2

to 4

students,

and 7

to

20

Peruvianworkmen each season.

Excavation

units

were

2 m

squares,

and

earth

moving

was

accomplished using

picks,

shovels,

and trowels. Excavated material within 10 cm of

floors

and within features was screened

through

1/4

inch

screen,

representative amples

were screened

through

#10

and #25

geological

soil

screens,

and

pollen

and radiocar-

bon

samples

were collected from

appropriate

contexts.

Workmen

readily

carried

stones

weighing

up

to 130

kg;

larger

stones

were moved

using ropes

and/or

solid

poles

as

rollers or

skids.

Moving

the

largest

stone

required

16

workmen.

Chronological Sequence

at Sechin

Alto

Six

phases

of construction and

occupation

were docu-

mented. Construction of the mound took

place during

the


6/20

Journal

of

Field

Archaeology

Vol.

30,

2005 147

Figure

4. Decorated

pottery

from the Moxeke

Phase of Sechin Alto

also

found

at

Pampa

de

las Llamas-Moxeke.

Scale is cm.

Figure

5.

Decorated

pottery

from the Haldas

Phase of

Sechin

Alto. It is also found at Las Haldas.

Scale

is cm.


7/20

148 Architecture

nd

Chronology

t

Sechin

Alto,

Casma

Valley,

Peru/Pozorski

nd

Pozorski

Figure

6. Polished slate

points

from the

Early

Horizon

reoccupation

of

Sechin

Alto,

also found at

San

Diego

and

Pampa

Rosario.

Figure

7.

Pottery

from the

Early

Horizon

reoccupation

of Sechin

Alto,

also

found at San

Diego

and

Pampa

Rosario.

Moxeke Phase which

spanned

most of

the Initial Period

and can be

subdivided

into Moxeke Phases

A

and

B be-

cause two

major

construction

episodes

are

clearly

evident

(there

is no discernible

change

in

associated

artifacts).

Ra-

diocarbon dates

suggest approximate

time

spans

of 2150-

1500

cal

B.C.and 1500-1400 cal B.C.

respectively

or these

subphases.

The remainderof the Initial

Period,

from about

1400

to

1000

cal

B.C.,

has been

designated

the Haldas

Phase to

distinguish

a

new cultural

presence.

These Initial

Period construction

phases

are followed

by

the

Early

Hori-

zon

reoccupation

as well as later Middle

Horizon and

Transitional eriod

ephemeral

uses of the mound.

MoxekePhase

The Moxeke Phase as

a

whole

can be

dated

to

between

2150 and 1400 cal B.C.

based

on radiocarbon dates

from

Pampa

de las

Llamas-Moxeke,Taukachi-Konkan,

Bahia

Se-

ca,

and

Cerro

Sechin. Sechin Alto site dates

fall near the

end of this

phase,

between 1600 and 1400 cal B.C.

(table

i),

reflecting

the

fact that our excavationswere confined

to

the

upper

half of the mound. Moxeke Phase

ceramics

were

found in association

with Moxeke

Phase A

architecture,

n

the

overlying

construction and

fill

pertaining

to Moxeke

Phase

B,

and

within

a

domestic

area

n the se

corner

of the

Sechin

Alto

Complex

(fig. 3B).

Architecture

dating

to

Moxeke Phase

A

was

exposed

in four areasof the

main

mound:

the conical

core,

the

depression

east

of the adobe

core,

the north

wing

of the

upper

atrium,

and the lowest

segment

of the

central staircase.

Moxeke

Phase

B architec-

ture was

exposed

on the mound

summit,

both

wings

of the

upper

atrium,

and

on an intermediate-sized

mound

bor-

dering

the first

plaza.

MOXEKE

PHASE A

Moxeke

Phase

A,

the

earliest

period

of

occupation

yet

identified

at

Sechin

Alto,

saw

the

building

of a

significant

portion

of the main

mound,

possibly

as

much

as

two-thirds

of its

2,000,000

cu

m final volume.

The adobe

core was

likely

the

tallest

part

of the

mound summit

at this

time

(fig. 8a-c).

It was

originally

a solid construction

standing

at least 9 m above

the

adjacent

mound

surface.

Excavation

of an

intact

portion

of the west

side

(fig.

8c)

revealed

that


8/20

Journal

of

Field

Archaeolqgy/Vol.

0,

2005

149

Figure

8.

Plan

of the main

mound of the Sechin

Alto site

showing:

A)

North

end

of the

adobe

core;

B)

East

exterior

face of the adobe

core;

C)

West

exterior

face of the adobe

core;

D)

Deep depression

east

of the

adobe

core;

E)

North

wing

of the

upper

atrium;

F)

Staircase

system

between the lower

atrium and the

upper

atrium;

G)

Corridor

leading

to the summit of

the

adobe

core;

H)

Summit

room;

I)

Staircase

system

between

the

upper

atrium and the summit

room;

J)

South

wing

of the

upper

atrium;

K)

Early

Horizon

architecture

on the

mound

summit.

the 9

m

height

included both

a bench

which is 3.5 m tall

and4.7

m wide

and

the

5.5

m tall wall

segment

above the

bench. Traces

of

square

columns

were

found at the adobe

core's nw and ne corners.

Polychrome

friezes decorate

remnants

of three columns

in

the nw

corner.

Each frieze

is

distinct,

but

not

enough

remainsto determine

precise

mo-

tifs.

Two

samples

of wood

from

postholes

within

the

columns

yielded

dates

of 1540

60 and 1410

55 cal

B.C.

(table

i).

We

believe

these

square

column remnants

were

part

of two

long

colonnades,

perhaps

containing

as

many

as 45

columns

each,

which

lined

the east

and west

sides of

the adobe

core surface

(fig. 8).

East of

the adobe

core

a 15

m

deep depression

facilitat-

ed excavation

of a

pair

of

partiallypreserved

rooms

associ-

atedwith

Pampa

de las

Llamas Moxeke

type pottery

(figs.

8b, 8d,

9).

One of these is a

square-room

unit,

a modular

building

form

composed

of a

square

room with round ex-

terior corners

that

denotes administrative

architecture at

Pampa

de

las Llamas-Moxeke and Taukachi-Konkan

Po-

zorski and

Pozorski

1994:

53).

The

square-room

unit at

Sechin Alto rests on a

platform

made

of conical

adobe

bricks that standsat least 5 m above a floor that

appears

o

be

part

of a small

courtyard

or

open

area.

Charcoal from

this

floor

yielded

a date of 1510

60 cal B.C.

(table i).

Moxeke

Phase A architecture

was

also

discovered with-

in the

wing

north of the

upper

atrium

(fig. 8e).

A

3

m


9/20

150 Architecture

and

Chronology

at Sechin

Alto,

Casma

Valley,

Peru/Pozorski

and

Pozorski

Table

1.

Radiocarbon

dates from the site

of

Sechin

Alto.

Sample

no. Radiocarbon Uncalibrated Calibrated

*

Material

Archaeological

ontext

yearsb.p

date b.c.

date

B.C.

dated

Beta-172352 3320

60 1370

60 1610

80

totorn eed

Roofing

material found

on floor of

a narrow

corridor east

of the adobe

core,

matting

Moxeke Phase

B

Beta-110593

3300

50 1350

50 1540

60 wood Within

a

posthole

in a column

in the

ne corner of the adobe

core,

Moxeke

Phase A

Beta-110592

3240

60

1290

60 1510

60 charcoal Within 10

cm of floor

of

deep

room

east

of adobe

core,

Moxeke

Phase

A

Beta-138056 3240

50 1290

50

1510

55 wood

Within

a

pilaster

of an entrance n the

wing

structure

north of

the

upper-

atrium,

Haldas

Phase

Beta-124948

3240

60

1290

60 1510

60

charcoal

Within

Sq.

2,

level

15,

domestic area

n

se

corner

of

Sechin

Alto

Complex,

Moxeke

Phase

B

Beta-150768 3220

60 1270

60 1500

55

charcoal Within

fill 85-145

cm

below surface

of Initial Period

gray

plaster

floor

in

and wood

wing

structure

north of

the

upper

atrium,

Moxeke

Phase B

Beta-150766

3170

60 1220

60

1430

50 wood Within

a

pilaster

of an entrance

n the

wing

structure

north of the

upper

atrium,

Haldas Phase

Beta-138058

3160

60 1210

60

1425

50

charcoal Within a hearth

near floor

of Haldas

Phase

rooms in

wing

structure

north

of

the

upper

atrium

Beta-124947

3150

60 1200

60

1420

35

charcoal Fill

material within 10 cm of

floor of

square-room

unit

on adobe

platform

within

deep

room,

Moxeke

Phase B

Beta-124945

3140

60 1190

60

1410

55 wood

Within

a

posthole

in column in the nw

corner of adobe

core,

Moxeke

Phase

A

Beta-150767 3110

70 1160

70 1400

70 wood Within

7

postholes

in

Initial Period

gray

floor in the

wing

structure

north

of

the

upper

atrium,

Moxeke Phase

B

Beta-164488 3090

70 1140

70 1390

70

charcoal Fill material

0-40 cm

below room

floor within

south

wing

of

first main

plaza

east of

main mound of Sechin

Alto,

Moxeke

Phase B

Beta-172353 3090

60 1140

60

1390

65 charcoal Fill

material 50-60

cm below corridor

floor,

in domestic

area n se corner

of

Sechin

Alto

Complex,

Haldas Phase

Beta-110594

3080

60 1130

60 1380

60

charcoal Within

Square

1,

level

18/19,

domestic

area

n se corner

of Sechin

Alto

Complex,

Moxeke

Phase B

Beta-138057 3050

70 1100

70

1305

95

wood

Post within corridor

in

wing

structurenorth of the

upper

atrium,

Haldas

Phase

Beta-124946 3040

60

1090

60 1295

95

charcoal

Fill material 1.5 m above the floor of the

square-room

unit on adobe

platform

within

deep

room,

Moxeke

Phase B

Beta-172354 3010

70 1060

70 1270

125

charcoal Fill material 0-30

cm below

floor

#4

of room

in south

wing

of first

main

plaza

east of main

mound,

Sechin

Alto,

Moxeke

Phase

B

Beta-172351 3000

60 1050

60 1260

115

junco

plantWithin

a column hole

of a room within

the

wing

south of the

upper

fiber

rope

atrium,

Moxeke Phase B

Beta-138059 2930

60 980

60 1120

110 charcoal Within

an intrusive hearth located

above

Haldas Phase

architecture

n

wing

structurenorth of the

upper

atrium

Beta-150765 2860

60

910

60 1010

90 wood

East

post

of main south entrance

n the

wing

structurenorth

of the

upper

atrium,

late Haldas

Phase

Beta-16448 7 2760

60 810

60 900

70

charcoal

Within

an

intrusive

hearth

on low

platform

in south

wing

of first

main

plaza

east of

main

mound,

Sechin

Alto,

late Haldas

Phase

Beta-110591

2210

60 260

60

290

70 charcoal Within

an intrusive

hearth in

Early

Horizon midden

layer

overlying

Moxeke

Phase B architecture

east of the east

end of the

upper

atrium

Beta-150769 2110

60 160

60 160

75 charcoal Within

intrusive hearth

overlying

Haldas

Phase

architecture

n

wing

structure

north of

upper

atrium

*

Periods in this

paper

are based on calibratedradiocarbondates

(Stuiver

et al.

1998).

wide staircase

system

made

largely

of conical adobe bricks

partially

underlies a

large

room block associated with Las

Haldas

type pottery

(fig. io).

The south

portion

of the

staircase eads north from the

upper

atrium

up

to a land-

ing.

At the north end of the

landing

the staircasedescends

to a

well-preserved plaster

floor

that forms

part

of

a

large

room

or

courtyard.

The northern

end of

this staircase

and

associated

room are covered

by

3.75

m of

rocky

construc-

tion fill

dating

to Moxeke

Phase

B,

upon

which rests

the

later Haldas

Phase

construction.


10/20

Journal

of

Field

Archaeology

/Vol.

30,

2005

151

Figure

9.

View

from the sw of the buried Moxeke Phase A

adobe

platform

supporting

remains of a

square-room

unit and a

rectangular

room.

Two

staircase

systems currently

ascend

the east face of

the

main mound

along

its centralaxis.

Only

the

lower

stair-

case

system, rising

from the lower to the

upper

atrium

(fig.

8f),

was in use

during

Moxeke Phase A. Two con-

struction

phases

are evident in this staircaseand

they likely

pertain

to Moxeke PhasesA

and

B. A short

segment

of

the

earlier staircase was

exposed

at the bottom of the

lower

staircase

system

where four of its

steps

extend east

beyond

the west wall of the lower atrium.

Higher up,

this staircase

was

inset,

and

its size

and

configuration

were

very proba-

bly

like the

Moxeke Phase B staircase

hat

currently

over-

lies it.

MOXEKE PHASE

B

The main

mound

and its associated four

rectangular

plazas

and two sunken circular

plazas

attained their

present

configuration

during

Moxeke Phase B. Evidence of Mox-

eke Phase B

construction

was

exposed

in the adobe core

area,

the

summit

room,

the central

staircase,

and the north

and south

wings

of the

upper

atrium. Moxeke

Phase B ar-

chitecture

was also

encountered

during

excavation of a

small

mound

bordering

the first

plaza

(fig.

3A),

and the

midden

and residential architecture

o the se also

probably

date to this

phase

(fig.

3B).

The adobe core continued to be used

during

Moxeke

Phase

B

when

all

four sides were

surrounded and covered

by

stone

and

mud

fill

which raised the

height

of much of

the

mound some 9

m,

up

to the

height

of the

adobe core

surface.The

few

diagnostic

ceramics

found

in

this fill

were

all

Moxeke

Phase,

and two

dates

for

the

construction

fill

of

1420

35 and

1295

95

cal B.C.

were crucial in

dating

the

upper

construction

fill

of the

mound to Moxeke Phase

B

(table 1).

These dates establish a

lower

bracketing

date

for the Initial

Period architecture

built on the fill.


11/20

152

Architecture nd

Chronology

t Sechin

Alto,

Casma

Valley,

Peru/Pozorski

nd Pozorski

Figure

10. Plan of the

Haldas Phase

Initial Period

architectureon the

wing

structure of the

upper

atrium.

Recent

excavations

revealed a

relatively

intact stone-

lined

corridor

(fig.

8g)

that

connects the

top

of the

adobe

core with

the

summit room

(fig. 8h).

The

corridor,

mea-

suring

1.25

m

wide with

side walls

standing

2.5

m,

re-

stricted

access to the

top

of the

adobe core

during

this

phase.

Roofing

materialrecovered from the

floor of the

corridor

yielded

a date of

1610

80 cal

B.C.

(table i).

We

believe the

adobe core

was

originally

a

solid

construction

that

supported

a

long rectangular

surface bordered

by

friezed

colonnades.

This

layout

and

iconography, coupled

with

the

restrictedaccessto the

area,

suggests strongly

that

this zone

served as a ritual

precinct

at the

center of the

main

mound

during

both Moxeke

phases.

The summit room

was

constructed

during

Moxeke

Phase B

upon

fill

that also

dates to this

phase.

It is

50

m

n-s

by

25 m

e-w

(fig.

8h),

and its walls are

made of un-

usually

large (up

to

1.6

x

by

0.9

m)

quarried

stones set in

silty

clay

mortar.The

walls arealmost 5 m

thick

and stood

at least

10 m

high.

The summit room

has a 5 m

wide en-

trance in its east

wall that

aligns

with the central

staircase

system

of the

mound. Numerous

painted

frieze

fragments

(red,

yellow,

black, blue,

gray, green,

and

white)

were

found

in

the wall fall east of the summit

room,

revealing

that the east face of the summit room was

once

decorated

with

polychrome

friezes.

The central staircase

system

consists of two

separate

staircases hat

ascend the

east face of the main mound. One

rises from the lower atrium to the

upper

atrium

(fig. 8f)

and

the

second rises from the

upper

atrium to the entrance

of the summit room. Initial construction of the lower

stair-

case was

completed during

Moxeke Phase

A,

and

during

Moxeke Phase B the

lower

atrium floor was raised2.2

m,

covering part

of the first staircaseand

providing

the start-

ing

level

for

the

overlying

staircase.Excavations

of the low-

er staircase

(figs.

8f,

iia)

revealed 39

steps, including

one

landing

area

and

one

bench,

totaling

11.5 m in elevation.

The first 26

steps

of the staircaseare 10.5

m

wide and

in-

set. The next three

steps

are 5 m wide and leadfrom aland-

ing up

to a bench. The final 10

steps

are 6.75

m

wide

and

inset into the east

edge

of the

upper

atrium.

The

upper

staircase

has

approximately

46

steps

and

rises almost 13 m

(fig.

8i,

iib).

This staircaseconsists

of

four

segments

that

vary

n

width.

All but the lowest was

ex-

posed by

excavation,

however this first staircase

segment

was

probably

about 5

m

wide, inset,

and contained

ap-

proximately

16

steps.

The second inset staircase

segment

that

leads

up

to a

wide

landing

is 5

m

wide and

contains

four

steps

(fig. iib).

The third

inset

segment

of this stair-

case

narrows as it ascends to the

upper landing.

The first

13

steps

measure 17

m

wide,

then the staircasenarrows

to

9

m in width for the last five

steps

(fig. iib). The fourth and

final

segment

consists

of a

5

m

wide

free-standing

staircase

of

eight steps

leading

from the

upper landing

to a bench

along

the east

wall

of

the summit room.

The

sides

of this

staircase

align

with the side walls of the east entrance o

the

summit room

(fig. iib).

Moxeke Phase ceramics were

re-

covered

during

excavation

of this

upper

staircase

and

the

stratigraphic position

of

the

staircase demonstrates

its

Moxeke Phase

B

date.

Architecture

exposed

in the south

wing

of the

upper

atrium was

assigned

to Moxeke Phase B because of its ar-

chitectural connection to the

upper

staircase

system

(fig.

8j).

Looting

in

this area resulted

in

heavy damage, leaving

only

scant remains of two rooms. The north room is

reached

from

the

upper

atrium

by way

of a 1.65 m wide

doorway.

Within this room a

square

bench contains four

column

holes,

each

measuring

about 35 cm in diameter

and

containing

the remains of column cores of cane

wrapped

in a

plant-fiber rope

of

junco (Scirpus p.)

These

columns

may

have

supported

a

roof,

creating

a

veranda

that

served as a

reception

area for visitors to the south

wing.

Junco

fiber

rope

remainsfrom one column hole were

dated

to

1260

115

cal

B.C.

(table i).


12/20

Journal

of

Held

Archaeology

Vol.

30,

2005 153

Figure

11. Plan

of

the

main staircase

system.

A)

Staircase rom the lower

atrium to the

upper

atrium;

B)

Staircase

rom the

upper

atrium to the summit of the main mound.


13/20

154

Architecture nd

Chronology

t

Sechin

Alto,

Casma

Valley,

Peru/Pozorski

nd

Pozorski

The second room is entered

from the east side

of the ve-

randa.

Here all that remains of a much

larger

room

is a

par-

tially preservedbench supporting a low, square platform

abutting

the main mound. South

of this

platform

is a col-

umn hole and a remnant of

protruding

plaster

that

may

be

the

remains of a frieze.

On the north

wing,

a

rough

floor of

gray silty

plasterup

to 12 cm thick covers the surface of the 3.75

m

deep

Mox-

eke Phase B fill of the Moxeke

Phase A room. Charcoaland

wood

in this fill

dated

to 1500

55

cal

B.C.

(table i).

The

fill

yielded

a

stylized

bird-head

pendant

of unidentified

green

stone,

but no

diagnostic

pottery.

Imbedded

in

the

gray

silt

floor is an

alignment

of seven small

postholes,

10-12 cm

in

diameter,

that were covered

by

later Haldas

Phase architecture.Wood

fragments

from these

postholes

were datedto 1400 70 cal B.C.(table i). Moxeke Phase

B

ended before

any

structures were built

on the north

wing.

Portions of two

rooms

forming

the south borderof the

first

plaza

have interior round

corners like most

square-

room

units

of the Moxeke Phase

(fig. 3A).

There is

also

ample gray

silt floor and wall

plaster

that matches the

Mox-

eke Phase

B

gray

silt floor of the

upper

atrium

north

wing,

and

Moxeke Phase sherds were recovered

in the excava-

tions. Dates of

1390

70 and 1270

125

cal

B.C.

(table

i)

from charcoal

recovered

from fill below the floor of one

of the rooms also

suggest

that these

structures date to

Moxeke Phase B.

Excavations

during

1995 and 2002 within a residential

area southeast of the main mound uncovered

ample

evi-

dence

of

midden and some structures

dating

to

the Mox-

eke Phase

(fig.

3B).

Only

Moxeke Phase

pottery

was re-

covered from these

excavations,

along

with

numerous

fig-

urine

fragments,

stone bowl or

mortar

fragments,

twined

and woven

textiles,

and abundant

subsistence remains.

Two radiocarbondates

of

1510

60

cal B.C. and 1380

60

cal

B.C.

(table i)

from

charcoal

recovered

during

mid-

den excavations

place

this

occupation

within

Moxeke

Phase B.

Haldas Phase

Both the Moxeke and Las Haldas cultural

developments

have

long

histories within the Casma

Valley

area. The ear-

liest dates for the Moxeke

occupation

come from the site

of

Pampa

de

las

Llamas-Moxeke,

which

was inhabited from

2080 to 1340 cal B.C.The Las Haldas

occupation

of the

Casma

Valley

area

is

dated to between 1925 and 1410

cal

B.C.

at the

coastal

site of Las

Haldas

(Pozorski

and

Pozors-

ki

1992:

table

2).

Thus,

the Moxeke

and

Las Haldas

Cul-

tures

appeared

at about the same time and coexisted for

several hundred

years.

There is no evidence of

significant

interactionbetween

the two

cultures,

however,

until about

1400

cal B.C. when

Las Haldas

ceramics

and

cultural

ma-

terialappearedwell north of Las Haldas.

The

Las Haldas Culture

expanded

northward

along

the

coast and inland

into

the Casma

Valley

during

the

Haldas

phase.

Haldas

Phase

building

activity

on the main Sechin

Alto mound occurs

mainly

on the

north

wing

above the

Moxeke

Phase

B

gray

silt floor where

a

large

room

and

smaller

room

block were

constructed

(fig.

8e).

The

large

room

is formed

by

a wall of

large

stones

that

borders

the

north

wing

on the

north,

east,

and

south.

Excavations

within

this room revealed

a

3.4

m wide south

doorway

in-

to a corridor

bordering

a

block

of

contiguous

stone

-walled

rooms

around a

small

courtyard

(fig.

8e,

io).

Entry

into

the

courtyard

complex

is

by

way

of

two

narrow

doorways

in the rear of the structureandthrough a smallroom (fig.

io).

Within

the

courtyard

a

central,

rectangular,

tone-lined

depression

(1.5

x

1.6

m)

contains an offset

circular

hearth

some 50

cm in diameter.Given

its

large

size and

prominent

position

within the

complex,

this

hearth

could reflect

a lo-

calized ritual

somewhat like

the ventilated

hearth structures

of the

Moxeke

Phase

(Pozorski

and

Pozorski

1996).

The

courtyard

and room

complex

superficially

resem-

bles the

layout

of

intermediate-sized

mounds

at

Pampa

de

las Llamas-Moxeke

(Pozorski

and Pozorski 1992:

fig.

8,

1994:

fig.

3);

however,

close

inspection

reveals

significant

differences.

There are

no modular

square-room

units;

in-

stead,

the Haldas Phase

rooms are

rectilinear

with

shared

walls and the main entranceis in the rear. Some continu-

ities with

earlier

architecturecan be

seen

in the use

of

round

corners,

raised

thresholds,

and

paired

pilasters

with-

in

doorways.

Las Haldas

type

ceramics were

recovered

from these

rooms,

the

surrounding

corridor,

and the

south

entrance.A solid ceramic

cylinder

seal from

one

room

is

similar

in form to

examples

associated

with

intermediate-

sized

mounds

at

Pampa

de las

Llamas-Moxeke

(Pozorski

and

Pozorski

1991:

fig.

8).

The seal and the

general

con-

figuration

of the room

complex suggest

its

primary

func-

tion was administrative.

Haldas

Phase

people

may

have at-

tempted

to simulate the

square-room

unit,

which

symbol-

ized

administrative unction

during

the

Moxeke

Phase,

as

a means of

signaling

their administrative

presence.

Four radiocarbon

dates come

from the

Haldas

Phase

construction on the

north

wing

(table i).

Two dates

of

1510

55

and 1430

50 cal B.C.

are from wooden

posts

within

entrance

pilasters

of the

courtyard/room

complex.

A third date of 1305

95

cal B.C. s

from a wooden

post

embedded

in the floor of the corridor

south

of the

court-

yard/room

complex.

With

two-sigma

standard

deviation,

these

three

dates

suggest

a date

of ca. 1400

cal B.C.as the

dividing

line

between

Moxeke

Phase B construction

and


14/20

Journal

of

Field

Archaeolqgy/Vol.

0,

2005

155

later Haldas Phase construction.

A

fourth date of 1010

90

cal B.C.

from a

post

in the

south entrance of the stone

surroundingwall probablydates a late Haldas Phase mod-

ification

of the north

wing.

An

additional date

of 1

120

110

cal

B.C.

(table i)

is from an

intrusive

hearth

well

above

the floor level of the

courtyard/room complex

and

probably

represents

a

squatter presence

on the

mound

shortly

after the Haldas Phase ended.

Early

Horizon

The

Early

Horizon

occupation

is

ubiquitous

at Sechin

Alto site and

largely

obscured the

primary

construction

phases

on the main mound.

This

led one

investigator

to

misdate

the main construction and

occupation

of the site

(e.g.

Wilson 1995:

193,

1999:

369)

and

impeded

reliable

architecturalmapping of the site's Initial Period compo-

nents. The

map by

Donald

Collier

(Tello

1956:

fig.

41),

showing

a

regularly

aid

out,

symmetrical

mound,

is

based

more on

knowledge

of

typical

early55

ound

layout

than

actual evidence. Our

first

map

(Pozorski

and Pozorski

1987:

fig.

46)

takes

into

account

the

magnitude

of

Initial

Period construction evident in

major

level

changes

and

general

site

configuration

but does not

clearly

differentiate

between

Initial Period construction and later

Early

Hori-

zon alterations.

About 500 cal

B.C.,

people

moved

back

onto the

mound,

leveled

much of the Initial Period

architecture,

knocked down substantial

walls,

and converted much of

the summit into a level surfaceupon which to build mod-

est

rooms,

plazas, courtyards,

and

small,

free-standing

mounds.

These

new

settlers collected stones from

wall de-

bris

or

stripped

Initial Period wall

faces to

obtain con-

struction

material for use

in

their

buildings.

Several

deep

Initial Period

rooms on the mound

summit

were

initially

mistaken

for looters' holes

(Pozorski

and Pozorski

1987:

73)

because

facing

stones for the

walls and

fill

had been re-

moved.

Early

Horizon

mining

of the

adobe

core

for

silty

clay

to

recycle

into mortar and

plaster

has left a

large

cen-

tral

depression.

As

part

of this

process,

most of the

poly-

chrome friezes

of

the adobe

core

and

the main

summit

room were

destroyed.

A

cap

of 30 to 100 cm of brownish

midden that covers much of the mound summit is also at-

tributable

to this

Early

Horizon

occupation.

The

following

examples

reveal

the extent of

Early

Hori-

zon alterations

of the

surface

of the main

mound.

In

one

35

x

20

m area on the summit

(figs.

8k,

12)

there are two

courtyards,

hree raised

platforms

(1

to 2 m

high),

and

sev-

eral

rooms,

wall

segments,

and

benches.

Near

the main en-

trance to

the

summit

room

(fig.

8h),

remains of cane

and

mud houses

as

well

as stone houses

were

found

within

the

upper

strataof the

Early

Horizon midden.

Early

Horizon

people

razed the

taller Initial

Period

walls,

including

most of the

large

summit room

walls,

and

used the resultant oose materialto createa level surface as

well

as to

build their

own structures.Much of

this materi-

al

was moved to the

east,

initially

via the main

entrance of

the summit

room.

Then,

as material

accumulated,

addi-

tional construction

debris was

pushed

into the

inset

central

staircaseand over

associated

landings

(fig.

13).

In the

up-

per

atrium,

the inset

staircase

system

was

sealed

by

a 1.5 m

high

stone

wall

of

reused

stones. Rubble

behind this wall

leveled the

upper

atrium

by

filling

the staircase.

One date

of

290

70

cal

B.C.

(table i)

came

from an

Early

Hori-

zon hearth in the

midden

overlying

this fill

and

a

date of

160

75 cal

B.C.

(table i)

came from a

second intrusive

hearth

overlying

Haldas Phase

architecture in the north

wing of the upper atrium.

Middle

Horizon

and

Transitional eriod

Post-Early

Horizon

occupations

of the main

mound

are

ephemeral.

Surprisingly,

almost no Casma

Incised ceram-

ics

have been found at the site. The

Middle Horizon

(a.d.

600-1000)

and the

Transitional

Period,

the

poorly-

known transition

between

the

Middle Horizon

and the

Late

Intermediate

Period

(ca.

a.d.

1000-1470)

on the

north

coast of

Peru,

are

represented

primarilyby

intrusive

burials.

All

but one of the

Middle Horizon

burials

were

found

within

depressions

in

the

adobe core

from

which con-

struction materialhad been mined (fig. 8a). These burials

had all been

disturbed,

some more

heavily

than

others. The

burials

were

in

extended

positions,

either on

their sides or

face

down,

and some

disturbed llama

burials were

also

found

alongside

the human

remains. A few

vessels

painted

red-white- black

provide

the

primary

evidence for

assigning

these burials

to the Middle

Horizon. One

other

intrusive

burial,

found within

wall debris at the

bottom of

the

deep

depression

just

east of the

adobe

core,

contained a

seated

individual

associated with a

corroded

copper

trumpet.

Three

intrusive

bundle burials

were cut

into the

landing

of

the Moxeke

Phase A

staircase on the north

wing.

Two

contained

seated,

flexed infantsand one

was of an

adult

fe-

male. These burials are

tentatively

dated to the Transition-

al

Period

based on

associated blackware

vessels

(Carol

Mackey, personal

communication

2002).

Other

flexed

and

extended burials

without

associated

diagnostic

grave

goods

encountered on the

north

wing

and

in

the summit

room are also

tentatively

assigned

to the

TransitionalPeri-

od

based

on

their

stratigraphic

positions,

body

treatment,

and

proximity

(in

the

case of the north

wing

examples)

to

the bundle burials.A

few

isolated

dog

burials

encountered

in

the north

wing

area

may

also

date to

this time

period.


15/20

156 Architecture

nd

Chronology

t Sechin

Alto,

Casma

Valley,

Peru/Pozorski

nd Pozorski

Figure

12. Planof

Early

Horizonarchitectureocated

on the summitof

the

main

SechinAlto mound.

One

other ceramic

type, possibly dating

to the Transi-

tional Period or the Late Intermediate

Period,

was associ-

ated with a

very

late enclosure of

dry-laid

stones that

par-

tially

covered

the

summit

room.

Diagnostic

ceramics in-

clude redware decorated with lizard

appliques.

Chronological Summary

Chronological

information from Sechin

Alto indicates

that the

lower two-thirds of

the main

mound

dates to

Moxeke Phase A.

How

much

additional

time

is

represent-

ed

by

the more than 20

m

of

unexplored

construction

in

the

lower

part

of the

mound

is a matter of

speculation.

We

believe one or two massive earlierconstruction

phases

date

to the

beginning

of the Initial

Period

(ca.

2150 cal

B.C.)

and are

contemporary

with the earliest

occupations

at Pam-

pa

de

las

Llamas-Moxeke and Cerro Sechin

(Fuchs

1997:

158;

Pozorskiand Pozorski

1992:

852)

aswell as Las Hal-

das

(Pozorski

and Pozorski

1987:

10-11,

21-23).

The exact

configuration

of the mound

during

Moxeke

Phase

A

is

unknown because

it is obscured

by

Moxeke

Phase B

construction. Based on available

evidence,

howev-

er,

the

adobe core would have been the tallest

part

of the

mound,

standing

some 9

m above

the

surrounding

archi-

tecture.

East

of this

core,

a

courtyard

bordered

by square-

room units was probablypresent.Access to this courtyard

areawas via

the

lower

inset central

staircase.

The

upper

one-third

of the

main mound was

added

dur-

ing

Moxeke

Phase B. It

reveals

the

general

tendency

of

Ini-

tial Period

people

to adhere

to

specific

architectural

enets

over

long periods

of

time.

Much

of the

general

mound

configuration

visible

today

followed

earlier

Moxeke

Phase

A

architectural

patterns

seen

at

Pampa

de

las Llamas-Mox-

eke and

Taukachi-Konkan.

The

main

mound

reached

its

present

height

and

clearly

attained

a

U-shaped

configura-

tion

during

Moxeke

Phase

B;

the summit

room,

the

wing

structures,

our

rectangular

plazas,

and

two sunken

circular

plazas

were

also

probably

constructed

during

this

period.

All these changes happened quickly ca. 1500 to 1400 cal

B.C.

The Haldas

Phase,

dated

to ca. 1400-1000

cal

B.C.

near

the

end

of the

Initial

Period,

saw

relatively

ittle construc-

tion on

the main

mound.

Only

the intrusive

courtyard

and

room

complex

on the

north

wing

of the

upper

atrium

can

be

securely

attributed

to this

phase.

Additional

LasHaldas

type

ceramicsoccur

sporadically

on the

remainder

of

the

mound,

perhaps

representing

a brief

reuse

of Moxeke

Phase architecture.

Significant

differences

in architecture

and ceramics

separate

the Haldas

Phase

from the

Moxeke

Phase.

The modular

square-room

unit

was

replaced

by

shared-wall

room blocks

with

fewer

rounded

corners and

rear entrances.Pampade las Llamas-Moxeketype ceramics

were

abruptlyreplaced

by

Las

Haldas

type

ceramics.

The

Early

Horizon

occupation

of the

main

mound

caused

heavy damage

to Sechin

Alto

as

portions

of

the

mound

summit were

leveled and

construction

materialwas

taken to build

numerous

small

platforms,

rooms,

and

courts on the

newly

leveled

surface.

This

occupation

start-

ed ca. 500 cal B.C.and

lasted

a

few

hundred

years,

produc-

ing

substantial

midden material that

covers

much

of the

surface

today.

Many

more

people

probably

lived

on the

mound

during

the

Early

Horizon

than at

any previous

or

subsequent

time

period.

Use

of the mound

during

the

Middle

Horizon,

the

Transitional Period, and the Late Intermediate Period

was

sparse,

confined to occasional use

of the

mound

sur-

face as a burial

area and for the

construction of a few

rus-

tic rooms. Such

reuse of

early

mounds

was common

among

late

Prehispanicpeoples

who

evidently

still

regard-

ed earliermounds

worthy

of use

as burial

areas.

Conclusions

The

following

is an examination

of how SechinAlto

site

and the

main mound

fit into the Sechin

Alto

polity

as a


16/20

Journal

of

Field Arch

neology

Vol.

30,

2005 157

Figure

13. Profile

looking

northof wall

all

and

dumped

debris

depositedduring

he

Early

Horizon and

overlying

he

conical

adobe

brick taircaseocated

ust

eastof the mainentranceo the summit oom.

whole.

We

examine he

polity's

economic and

population

base,

evidence

of a

preconceived lan

maintained

through

several

generations,

videnceof

strong

bureaucraticon-

trol

through

architecturalnitsemblematic f administra-

tive

activity,

nd details

reflectingnterdependencemong

sites

within

the

polity.

The

recent

recognition

of the

Supe-Pativilca-Fortaleza

Valley

one south of Casma

as

the

likely

prepottery

enter

of

origin

or Andeancivilization ocused heworld'satten-

tion on the

archaeology

f Peru

Haas,

Creamer,

nd Ruiz

2004, 2005;

Shady

1997;

Shady,

Hass,

and Creamer

2001).

Sizeable

preceramic

ites there are ocatedwell

in-

land

n

optimum

areas or canalsand

generally

djacent

o

large

areas

f arable

and.Successive

enturies f

irrigation

agriculture

ave obscured hese

early

canal

systems,

but

settlement

pattern

data and

significant

ncreases n the

amountand

variety

f cultivated

speciesargue

or the exis-

tence

of

early rrigation ystems

Moseley

1992:

126;

Po-

zorski

and

Pozorski

1979:

426).

Preceramic

ntecedents

on the central oast

inspired

imilar

nitialPeriod

develop-

ments

in

river

valleys

to the north and

south,

and the

grandest,

he SechinAlto

polity,

occurred n

Casma.

Most

large

nlandmounds

ace

upriver

oward

he sourceof the

water

hat

was essential o this new

way

of

life,

and

they

ie

outside he limitsof

cultivation

o

maximize rable

and.

In

contrast,

SechinAlto

site,

the

polity capital,

ignals

ts im-

portanceby occupying

ertile and n the

valley

center.Al-

though large-scale rrigationagriculture

was the norm

along

much of the Peruvian oast

by

InitialPeriod

imes,

the

Casma

Valley

standsout

among

these

coastal

valleys.

We attribute his to the

unusually

fficientcontrol

and ef-

fective

management

f the

irrigation

ystem

hat

provided

the

impetus

for the

population

and constructionboom

that culminated

n

the

Sechin

Alto

polity

and its accom-

plishments

Pozorski

nd Pozorski

1987, 1992,

2002).

The

Sechin

Alto

polity

unctionedas a

unifiedwhole

for


17/20

158 Architecture nd

Chronology

t Sechin

Alto,

Casma

Valley,

Peru/Pozorski

nd

Pozorski

some 500

years, managing

the

irrigation

system

and its

products, constructing

monumental

architectureof un-

precedented magnitude, and functionally integrating a

suite of distinct communities. This

unity

is reflected

in ar-

tifact

types,

architectural

lements,

architectural

enets,

and

foodstuffs

that are

shared

among

the communities.

At a

very

basic level is the

square-room

unit,

a

modular

archi-

tectural element that

signals

administrative

presence.

First

recognized

at

Pampa

de las

Llamas-Moxeke,

the

square-

room

unit is characterized

by

rounded

exterior

corners,

8-12 wallnicheswell above the

floor,

a

carpet

of

reed

mat-

ting,

raised

thresholds,

and

bar closure mechanismsto re-

strict

access.

It is

used

repeatedly

at

Pampa

de

las Llamas-

Moxeke

in

modules.

Thirty-eight

square-room

units

form

the

storage

modules

that

create

a

huge

warehouse

on Hua-

caA, one of the two main mounds at the site. A cluster of

compounds,

formed

of

single

square-room

unit

modules,

lie on either side of Huaca A where

they probably

served

to monitor or

regulate

access

to

and

from the mound.

Square-room

unit modules form the central

rooms of over

100

structures,

aligned

with

the site axis and

facing

the

site

center,

that

comprise

the east and west sides

of the site.

These

intermediate-sized

mounds are

interpreted

as ad-

ministrative structures because their architecture

is well-

built, clean,

and similarin

layout

to Huaca A and because

of the

presence

of

occasional

stamp

and

cylinder

seals of

fired

clay.

The few intermediate-sized

mounds that deviate

from

the

prevailing alignment

face

roads

that enter the site

from the east and west and

probably

monitored intersite

movement of

goods

and

people.

In this context the inter-

mediate-sized mounds

may

have

provided

a third adminis-

trative tier to

regulate

the movement of

products among

Huaca

A,

the

support

communities,

and other

contempo-

rary

Casma

Valley

centers

(Pozorski

and

Pozorki

1991,

1994).

At

Pampa

de

las

Llamas-Moxeke,

small

square-

room

unit modules were also discovered within

areas of

residential architecture hat

yielded ample

evidence

of cot-

tage

industries such as textile

production.

In

this

context,

these

administrative modules

may

have controlled

this

facet of the local economic

system.

At Taukachi-Konkan

and Sechin

Alto,

square-room

units were

also found

in

probable

administrative contexts within monumental ar-

chitecture,

and Cerro Sechin consists

of at least three con-

centric

modules.

The

pervasiveness

of the

square-room

unit at SechinAl-

to

polity

sites reveals that the

component

communities

shared

a

common administrative

language, xpressed

ar-

chitecturally.

Varied

functions for

major

mounds

at other

sites

provide

additional evidence

of

interdependence

among

the sites. At

Pampa

de

las

Llamas-Moxeke,

one

of

the two main mounds functioned as a

temple,

basedon its

highly-visible

friezes and

large, publicly-

accessible

plazas,

whereas

the second

functioned

as a

large

warehouse

for

storing comestibles and other valuables(Pozorskiand Po-

zorski

1991, 1994,

1998).

The

largest

mound at

Taukachi-

Konkan

is

interpreted

as

a

palace

because

it contains

both

public

space

for

receiving

elite

guests

and

private

residen-

tial

quarters.

We

propose

that

the immense Sechin

Alto site

main mound was

the

overarching

administrative

center

bringing

churchand

state

together

by

combining

the

re-

ligious precinct

of the adobe core with

adjacent

square-

room unit administrative

elements.

The net

result

is a col-

lection

of

major

inland

sites with

complementary

roles,

that,

taken

together,

comprise

a

cohesive whole.

Contemporary

coastal

sites were

integrated

into the

Sechin

Alto

polity

through

a subsistence

exchange

system.

Bahia Seca, Tortugas, and Huaynuna were semi-au-

tonomous

fishing

villagesduring

the Late

Preceramic

Peri-

od

(Pozorski

and

Pozorski 1987:

12-16,

1992:

848-850).

With the

introduction

of

irrigation

and

ceramics

and the

rise of

large

inland

centers

during

the

subsequent

Initial

Period,

these sites became

satellites

providing

much-need-

ed

animal

protein

in the form of

fish and

shellfish.

These

were

exchanged

for

cultigens

such

as

beans,

lima

beans,

potatoes,

sweet

potatoes, peanuts,

cotton,

gourds,

and

squash grown

near the

inland

centers. Evidence

of control

of these

sites

by

the

inland centers

is seen

at

Bahia Seca

which

has an intermediate-sized

mound with

a

square-

room unit module

at its

center,

just

like

the mid-level

ad-

ministrative mounds at Pampa de las Llamas-Moxeke,

Taukachi-Konkan,

nd Sechin

Alto

(Pozorski

and

Pozorski

1992:

fig.

2).

We estimate that

approximately

18,000

people

inhabit-

ed

the

Sechin

Alto

Complex

at its

apogee

and

that

outly-

ing

sites

integrated

into the

polity

had an additional

popu-

lation of almost 5000

people.

These estimates

are based

on

data from

Pampa

de las

Llamas-Moxeke,

he

best-preserved

Casma

Valley

Initial Period

site. Two-thirds

of the site

lies

outside

areas of modern

cultivation,

and it is

relatively

un-

affected

by

later

occupation

and

natural forces. We

deter-

mined that

approximately

7%

of the

total site

areawas

oc-

cupied

by

residential architecture

comprising

some

500

structures.

Using

a conservative estimate of five

persons

per

structure

(

=

2500

persons)

and

correcting

for the

one-

third of the

site under modern

cultivation

(=

1250

per-

sons),

we

calculated the residential

population

of

Pampa

del las Llamas-Moxeke

to be

approximately

3750

people.

Extrapolating

to the Sechin

Alto

Complex,

which

is 4.77

times

larger

than

Pampa

de las

Llamas-Moxeke,

we

get

a

figure

approaching

18,000.

The

remaining

estimated

pop-

ulation of 1200

persons,

is based

on the

combined areasof

the coastal

sites

which

were

almost

totally

residential.


18/20

Journal

of

Field

Archaeology

Vol.

30,

2005 159

The Sechin

Alto

political

and

economic

system,

with

ar-

chitectural

accomplishments

that

make the Casma

Valley

unrivaled n the entire New World for its time period, be-

gan

to

weaken

nearthe end

of the Moxeke

Phase. Two

sig-

nificant

events

evident

in the

archaeological

record

may

help explain

this decline.

One

is the

great

battle

or massacre

depicted

in the Cerro

Sechin

carved-stone

facade,

where

the warriorsand

the victims

can

be

clearlydistinguished

by

their dress.

Significantly,

the

victims

in the Cerro Sechin

carvings

wear the

same

pleated

skirts

and

scalloped

tunics

as

the

immense

god-like

or

priest-like

figures

that adorn

the facade

of

the

temple

mound

at

Pampa

de las

Llamas-

Moxeke

(Kauffmann

1983:

179;

Pozorski 1987:

27;

Tello

1956:

154,

159).

In the absence

of evidence

of attack

by

external

enemies

at

this

time,

the

Cerro

Sechin

iconogra-

phy suggests

internalstrife. More

specifically,

t shows that

insurgence by

a faction

from

the southern

Pampa

de

las

Llamas-Moxeke

branchhad

been

quelled

and

its

leaders

ex-

ecuted.

Second,

about 1400

cal

B.C.,

a

large-scale

El

Nino

event

struck

the Casma

Valley

area.

This is

clearly

docu-

mented

at

Cerro

Sechin

and was

observed

on Huaca A at

Pampa

de

las

Llamas-Moxeke.

El

Nino

damage

on

one ma-

jor

mound was

partially

repaired,

but the site

was aban-

doned

soon

after this

event.

The

Sechin

Alto

polity

responded

during

Moxeke

Phase

B

by

consolidating

its

leadership

at

Sechin

Alto site and

by

altering

the

main mound

to

tangibly

represent

this

politi-

cal

restructuring.

The

main mound was

expanded by

rais-

ing

its summit elevationsome 9 m to the

height

of the sur-

faceof the

adobe

core.

A

huge square-room

unit was built

east

of the

core,

and

the four

rectangular

plazas

and

two cir-

cular

plazas

and their

bordering

mounds

were also

con-

structed

at this

time.

The eastface of the

summit room was

covered

with

an immense

polychrome

frieze

readily

visible

from the

plazas

below.

The two circular

sunken

plazas

within

the

row of

plazas,

ike

amphitheaters,

may

have held

localized

rituals

or

spectacles

as a

means of

bringing

cere-

mon

architecture and chronology at the site of sechín alto,

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