A 4000 year old gold artifact was found from Lake Titicaca Basin,Southern Peru and the burial
date is estimated to be 3776 to 3690 carbon 14 years before the present(2155-1936 calender year BC) The findings were the efforts of a team of Anthropologist led by Mark Aldenderfer,Department of Anthropology University of Arizona ,Tuscon(Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of United States of America[PNAS] 4 April,2008)
The finding the gold artifact is considered to be one of the earliest worked gold not only in Andes but America as well. The necklace was found in a burial were human remains were found of an adult and a juvenile (between the age of 6-8).But the bones were friable and eroded
condition and it is not possible to determine sex nor the exact date using carbon dating techniques.The necklace consists of nine gold beads and eleven circular beads
of a course green stone(possibly soda lite).According to the Anthropologist ''gold from Jiskairumoko in a terminal Archaic context provides new insight into the emergence
of Andean metal-working and supports the concept of the early appearance of multiple,independent metal- working technologies focused in native materials especially gold.''
Excavations reveal a river valley settlement. Five pit houses have been discovered and are arranged in circular pattern and storage alcoves within each of these structures had a total capacity of 130 to 150 Lt's indicating long term residence in the area.There are also indication
of remodelling and repair of the pit houses from time to time.The site shows multiple occupation from late Archaic to early formative period(3600 to 1500 cal yrs BC).The burial that contained gold was recovered from a small pit,circular in plan and one meter away from these pit house structures.Gold findings in the civilisation is a feasible pointer towards the fact that there was
sufficient accumulating wealth and agricultural surpluses.
No comments:
Post a Comment