Society for American Archaeology
Review: [untitled]
Author(s): Vernon L. Scarborough
Source: Latin American Antiquity, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Sep., 2007), pp. 356-357
Published by: Society for American Archaeology
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25478187
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356 LATIN AMERICAN
analytical
and NISP,
odon
of large archae
with the investigation
ogists concerned
The
from environmentally
similar
ofaunas
regions.
one chapter each covering
the results of
authors provide
of the vertebrate
analysis
on
and
are devoted
and
subsistence
the zooarchaeological
The
remains.
invertebrate
of the volume
pages
remaining
sion of Guangala
based
to a discus
economic
patterns
level
The
ally
both
sharks, dominate
fish, primarily
predatory
at both sites.
in terms of potential meat contribution
fish actu
of large marine
trend of a high frequency
at both
the
increases
sequence
occupational
through
no indication
human
of negative
sites, providing
impact
of less
on fisheries
often exemplified
by the inclusion
or fishing
down
level species,
lower trophic
preferred
the food web
279:860-863).
(e.g., Pauly et al., Science
The
authors
marine
been
mollusk
found
in the diet
included
the point
at both
also make
remains
of
While
beads-in-production,
ornaments.
shell
and unfinished
treatment
the overall
the
not have
their Guangala
gatherers,
such as
of shell working
evidence
citing considerable
cut and chipped
shells,
Spondylus
and finished
of
that many
sites may
quibble with one
some
of the presenta
and
details
issue
methodological
use
For the most
the
authors
tion and findings.
part
biomass
to
estimate
allometric
techniques
weight-based
or meat
for taxonomic
contribution
is translated
weight
an inherent problem
calculations
allometric
(or
age
category, where bone
meat weight.
There
is
to probable
in weight-based
expansion)
must
allow
measures
Weight-based
since they can be affected
array of variables
by a wider
such
that can add to or subtract from a given
specimen
deminer
as soil adherence,
mineralization,
concretion,
alization,
The
centrum
and burning.
lipid preservation,
shark vertebral
authors place all unidentifiable
into the category
"Squaliformes."
specimens
sharks
include gulper
Squaliformes
bramble
sharks
(Dalatiidae),
dae), sleeper
The
norhinidae),
sharks
either
belong
lantern
(Squalidae),
site. The shark
to three
sharks
none
other
(Centrophori
sharks (Echi
and dogfish
(Emopteridae),
are identified
from
of which
specimens
orders:
identified
in Table
7.3
the Orectolophiformes
the Lam
the nurse shark),
cirratum,
(Ginglymostoma
the great white
niformes
carcharias,
(Carcharodon
and
the shortfin mako)
shark and Isurus oxyrhinchus,
the Carcharhiniformes
of 2 camelid
bone frag
and 33 guinea pig (cuy, Cavia cf. porcellus)
bones.
some
and cuy bones certainly
The few camelid
represent
contact with highland
sort of direct or down-the-line
as much
could have been
However,
=
cf.
the agouti
NISP
punctata,
(Dasyprocta
=
5), white-lipped
1), spiny rat (Proechimys
spp., NISP
=
1), tinamou
(Tinami
peccary
(Tayassu pecari, NISP
=
dae, NISP
(Ara cf. ambigua,
5) and great green macaw
NISP = 8) bones, all from a single site. All of these birds
and mammals
prefer more humid forested environments.
sources.
Andean
of
The
20 bones
tact with more
of these
forest
humid
coastal
species could
zone sources
indicate
con
farther
to the
an even broader
the coast,
representing
along
contact
network.
These
and/or
specimens
exchange
in local envi
induced change
might also indicate human
ronments
for agriculture.
In the
due to forest clearance
north
end,
case for the indirect
a convincing
resources
at El Azucar
via recip
the authors make
of marine
acquisition
rocal exchange.
Their
standing
anthropological
not only
appeal
west
evidence
volume
represents
at its finest
zooarchaeology
to archaeologists
South America,
are considered
This
and
but wherever
in coastal
is an out
and Farmers
Fishers
Guangala
publication.
are based primarily
and buttressed
by the
conclusions
on the zooarchaeological
record.
ethnohistorical
synthetic
and will
working
in north
exchange
networks
regions
throughout
the
world.
vs. measurement
or meat
weights. Met
only for shrink
bone
of a given
specimen.
of biomass may be less precise
of biomass
of biomass
rical calculations
I will
is excellent,
their presentation
in this volume
ments
Overall,
and
of the archaeofaunas
2006).
www.fishbase.org,
ismade
Much
made
evidence.
are
While
reptiles, birds, and mammals
amphibians,
resources
and
the vertebrate
dominate
present, marine
from both sites. High
invertebrate
archaeofaunas
trophic
sites
the tiger shark, Rhizoprion
cuvier,
the Pacific
shark, and Sphyrna
longurio,
sharpnose
sharks) (Froese and Pauly, FishBase,
spp., hammerhead
shark, Galeocerdo
MNI,
identification
techniques
including
in
and Biomass
calculations,
Diversity
as to afford a useful
resource
for archaeol
18, No. 3, 2007]
[Vol.
methods,
a way
such
ANTIQUITY
(Carcharhinus
leucas,
the bull
Masterpiece
of the Inca
Engineering
Tipon: Water
of
American
R. WRIGHT.
Society
Empire. KENNETH
+
x
155
2006.
Civil Engineers
Reston,
Press,
Virgnia,
pp., figures,
Reviewed
index.
bibliography,
by Vernon
$56.00
L. Scarborough,
(paper).
University
of
Cincinnati.
has long had an assist
of civil engineers
community
of
the
in
hand
technological
complexities
clarifying
ing
is
for
ancient civilization.
archaeology
Anthropological
Kenneth Wright
tunate to have their careful assessments.
The
in collaboration
with
several
active
Peruvian
archaeol
engineers
ogists has inserted his team ofWestern-trained
our understanding
of the ancient Inca and
to complement
his
of two of their elite estates. Unlike
the construction
first book
Picchu,
examining
the primary
atMachu
the engineered
landscape
is on the water
of this volume
focus
system of the relatively
management
located 20 km downstream
of Tipon
small
from
community
the Inca cap
REVIEWS357
even with the derang
function
and organization
munity
ing effects of tourist traffic and farming activities. Wright
to the abundance
reference
of pottery on the sur
makes
an area of 2 km2,
is identified within
Tipon
is ancient agricultural
terracing.
book
is highly
accessible
and well-organized.
ital of Cusco.
half of which
The
With
over
enhanced.
significantly
ters, the penultimate
spare text is
of 12 chap
the sometimes
170 illustrations,
The
volume
a useful
consists
distillation
of
of aspects
archaeol
authored
by established
prehistory
The chapters generally
build on
ogist Gordon McEwan.
one another
exam
inclusive
of a less-effective
segment
volume
of
is the
ancient
climate.*
The
focus
the
ining
Peruvian
monumental
struction,
feats
engineering
associated
and use of the Central
maintenance,
ment
a careful
assess
system
including
sources
led by cut and carved andesite
management
of canalized
terraces were constructed
The impressive
cut-and-fill
by major
by
operations
complemented
to both groundwater
altered access
and
spring activity
construction.
riverine
over 60
aqueduct
from the nearby Rio
A well-defined
canalization.
m
in length aided in carrying water
source
Pukara
1.35 km away. In addition
stone masonry
crafted
the 2-4.5
identifying
race walls,
as well
inset, non-splash
elaborately
as formally
constructed
fountains
last third of
the book
several
reexamines
to the highly
m high ter
drop
were
structures
a 4.5-6
m high outer wall
including
stone work
nearly 6 km long?likely
settlement
but circumscribing
by an earlier Wari
ends with a chapter
Tipon as well. The volume
visible
(Chapters
yields,
tenets
4-7)
quality,
caveat
interpretations
fied.
is probably
provided
from
by Ruth
and review
reconstructed
necessary.
appear
the volume
surface
Although
emphasizes
the role of systematic
and controlled
neglects
finds and recordation.
Given
the manageable
Tipon,
surface
considerable
inspection
complementary
and control
like Tipon?activities
as well as less-visible
that
include
water
hidden
households
diversion
courses,
features,
and holding
tanks. Archaeological
surface survey,
too,
would
aid in separating
the chronology
of the site given
the pre-Inca
legacy for the area.
Much ismade of climatic shifts through time in the
Andean
revolves
had
and
literature;
ENSO
so, given
rightly
the impact of
debate
considerable
Nevertheless,
activity.
around
states
the degree of resilience
pre-Inca
of drought
intervals. Chapter
3 ties the
in social and technical
benchmarks
advancement
in the face
as
ated warmth
but both
climatic
the
it
survey,
several
centuries
the connective
warming
the empirical
linkages
for Tipon
alleged
and
air on a diurnal
before
the Inca reign,
of micro
for the kind
testing
Erickson's
terracing warming
are
of the specific hypothesis
work
has
uncited
indeed
their waters
inverted
warm
and
basis
that an Inca
understanding
useful
provides
surface
management
size
bility
of
frigid Andean
He attrib
freezing.
raised field systems
during
plots from
to the Tiwanaku
to prevent
frosts on raised
field plots, but no such additional
ter
work
involving
race masonry
is reported of which
I am aware.
the book
is not an anthropological
Although
to the engineered
and the implica
approach
landscape
tions
justi
fields
field
nights preventing
utes the innovation
occasions
states
that the exposed
the heat of the day and radi
the terraced
of Lake Titicaca
on several
controls
the author
absorbed
over
Clark
lacking.
shown how canals
surfaces,
and
throughout
andesite masonry
cold
is likely to reveal
about com
information
aid
survey, future excavations
archeological
beyond
the highly
visible masonry
architecture
could reveal a
at a contained
fuller inventory of cultural activities
site
AND
water
Nevertheless,
reasonable
concentrations
the book;
using Western
hydraulic
and ways of examining
information
the author is frequently
dependent
new
provide
the system. Because
on information
gleaned
some
measure
were part of the mix, might
on
in the assessment?
Based
structures
if perishable
the role of microclimatic
on previously
and/or
excavated
Those
of the book
sections
that carefully
and control
what
ancient
to unify the known
is its attempt
structures
and features
to the ancient
around
Inka
the obvious
import of water
elite living at Tipon for at least a portion of the year. The
book achieves
its goal of identifying
the water man
agement
system drawing
reconstructed
features.
hidden
modest
erected
a
tour of the site.
describing
walking
assessment
book
is a highly
of the
descriptive
at Tipon. The strength of the volume
landscape
Wright
The
The
to major
societal-wide
climatic
collapse
the climate
drought. Although
shifts?primarily
trigger
has replaced
the population
one, either remains overly
At Tipon
also mentions
simplistic.
specifically,
Wright
public
of uncut
andesite
in this volume.
are
for the community
densities
conjectured
population
not elucidated
these
by the author, though I am assuming
from architectural
floor spaces. But
figures are calculated
major
as well
built. The
other
works
not mentioned
to iden
careful
Terraces;
terraces bifurcating
13 "high-status"
the major concen
less than 3
tration of elite architecture,
though covering
ha. The author emphasizes
the aesthetics
of the entire
water
tify
activities
artifact
the con
with
(p. 82), and distributional
patterns are likely
less visible
of the many
features
indicative
face
will
standing
statecraft.
estate might
have for a substantive
or empire
statecraft
it does
building,
information
about a circumscribed
water
of
in antiquity.
The book's
accessi
system
a wide
a clearer
allow
under
readership
of the complexities
associated
with
early