Late Prehistoric Wood Use in an Andean Intermontane Valley

• Published in: Economic botany 2005-12, Vol.59 (4), p.337-355
• Main Authors: Hastorf, Christine A, Whitehead, William T, Johannessen, Sissel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: (pre)historic wood use; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Alnus; Andes; Archaeobotany; archeology; Biological and medical sciences; Botany; Buddleja; Charcoal; Colletia; Contents; Economic botany; ethnobotany; fuelwood; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Growth rings; history; housing; Mountains; Parenchyma; Patios; Plants; Political power; Polylepia; prehistory; Shrubs; Tangents; Taxa; Timber; trees; valleys; Wood; wood identification; wood utilization
• ISSN: 0013-0001; 1874-9364
• DOI: 10.1663/0013-0001(2005)059[0337:LPWUIA]2.0.CO;2

Data from carbonized wood remains from five late prehistoric sites (A.D. 1300–1530) in the Upper Mantaro Valley, Peru, are presented. The wood assemblage recovered is diverse. We illustrate and describe the twelve main morpho-types, one of which is more than likely to have been imported from the eastern slopes of the Andean mountains into the Mantaro Valley. The Inka conquest of the area created a change in socio-political power and also brought about a shift in the way wood species were utilized. From the Wanka II to the Inka occupations we find an increase in the Buddleja, Polylepis, Alnus, and Colletia morpho-types; all of these species are reported as being cultivated by the Inka and possibly by pre-Inka inhabitants of the valley. A quantitative analysis shows higher amounts of wood in the elite dwellings of both the Wanka II and Wanka III times, suggesting a social aspect in the way this valuable Andean commodity was distributed and used.