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IMPACT OF A FOURTEENTH CENTURY EL NINO FLOOD
ON AN INDIGENOUS POPULATION NEAR ILO, PERU
BY
DENNIS RAY SATTERLEE
A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
1993
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LIBRARIES
©
Copyright 1993
by
Dennis Ray Satterlee
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*
J
To Carole (D.L.)--The Wind Beneath My Wings
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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A dissertation is large undertaking which can never be
accomplished by a single individual. Many important contributions
were made to this study by a number of people, and I wish to extend
to each of them my most heartfelt thanks and deepest appreciation.
I wish to thank all my Peruvian friends who either directly
helped me in the field or who graciously imparted knowledge about
Peruvian prehistory. In particular I am indebted to some of my
fellow Programa Contisuyu members, Shawn Penmann, Rick Reycraft,
Bruce Owen, David Jessup, Elva Torres, Nene Lozada, and Jorge Tapia,
who help to make fieldwork pleasurable, most of the time. Special
thanks go to Dr. Karen Wise, curator at the Los Angeles Natural
History Museum, not only for the use of her slides of Miraflores
Quebrada in making some figures used in Chapter 5, but also because
she is a very good archaeologist and helpful friend. I also wish to
thank the other Peruvians, Walter, Helbert, and Felipe, who helped
me in the field, and who were always kind to the large Gringo who
speaks the not-so-good Spanish.
I would be remiss if I did not generously thank the personnel
of S.P.C.C., such as Ernie, Wayne, Ralph, Eduardo at Campamentos,
and Rick, and a myriad of other unknown personnel who do the
fabrication of anything that we need, and who also perform the
maintenance on our venerable field vehicles.
I wish to thank a few of my fellow UP graduate students who
helped me, and who took the time to listen to me. In particular, I
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want to thank Tom Eubanks, who was always a pleasure to be
associated with, and who helped me immensely in learning the
Illustrator computer program which I use to make my maps, etc.
Also some helpful suggestions were made from time to time by Steve
Kryzton. I wish to thank Greg Smith for being one of the most
friendly graduate students in the UF anthropology department. I
wish to thank George Avery and Ryan Wheeler, who were always
willing to help when any was needed. Special thanks go to the
"Maestro," Prof. Michael E. Moseley, for being my major professor for
these last four years and helping me to realize my life-time dream of
becoming a real archaeologist.
A number of figures were adapted from the works of others
including the following: Figure 1-5 was adapted from Clement and
Moseley 1991; Figure 2-2 was adapted from Dillon 1985; Figure 2-3
was adapted from S.P.C.C. 1985; Figure 3-2 was adapted from
Moseley 1992; Figure 3-5 was adapted from Silgado 1978; Figures 5-
14 and 7-26 were adapted from original drawings made by Nikki
Clark, with additional interpretations by Michael E. Moseley and
Jorge Tapia. Figures 7-11 and 7-12 were adapted from original field
drawings made by Karen Wise and myself in 1990. Of course, any
errors in translations and interpretations are solely my
responsibility.
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Lastly, I wish to thank profusely Carole, my wife and chief field
assistant, for enduring the hardships and the loneliness while I was
in Florida and in Peru doing field work. It was not an easy task for
either of us.
yn
TABLE OFCONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
iv
ABSTRACT
xii
CHAPTERS
INTRODUCTION
1 1
Purpose of Study
1
Physical Setting 5
Far-Southern Peru 5
The Coastal Quebradas 9
Introduction 9
Catchment Area
1 1
Carrizal Quebrada 1 2
Total Agricultural Area 1 2
Settlement Size 1 3
Miraflores Quebrada 1 3
Agricultural Area 1 3
Settlement Size 1 4
Pocoma Quebrada 4
1
Agricultural Area 4
1
Settlement Size 1 5
Chapter Summaries 1 5
2 EL NINO-SOUTHERN OSCILLATION 1 5
Introduction 2
Background Information 2 3
The Cause ofEl Niiios 2 4
The Peruvian (Humboldt) Current 2 7
Southern Oscillation 2 9
Climatic Changes Associated with ENSOs 3
Exceptional Rainfall 3
Drought Conditions 3 3
Correlations Between Volcanic Activity and
El Nino Phenomena 3 4
VI
Correlation Between Global Warming and
the Frequency of El Niiio 3 6
Effects of Strong El Niiios 3 7
Flooding 3 8
Disease and Pestilence 4
1
Impact on Coastal Agriculture 4 3
Impact on Highland Agriculture 4 4
Domesticated Animals 4 5
Marine Life 4 6
Guano Birds 4 9
Economic Impact 5
Positive Consequences of an El Niiio Event 5 1
Lomas
5 1
Applying Modern El Niiio Data to
Prehistoric Settings 5 3
ARCHAEOLOGICALBACKGROUND
3 5 6
Initial Period 5 6
Early Horizon 5 7
Early Intermediate Period 5 9
Middle Horizon 5 9
Late Intermediate Period 6
Cultural History of the Ilo Region 6 5
Lithic Period 6 5
Preceramic Period 6 7
Initial Period 6 8
Early Horizon 6 9
Early Intermediate Period 7
Middle Horizon 7
1
Late Intermediate Period 7 2
Intensification and Development of
Irrigated Agriculture 7 6
Introduction 7 6
Water Management 8 3
Development of Agriculture 8 3
Social Change Associated with Agriculture 8 5
Motivating Factors for the Development
of Agriculture 8 8
Advantages of Agricultural Terracing 8 9
Use of Fertilizers 9
Risk Management 9 1
vii
Contribution of Agriculture to the Prehistoric Diet 9 5
Religion and Agriculture 9 6
Background 9 6
Role of the Gods in Agriculture 9 7
Adoration ofHuacas 9 8
Oracles and Religious Centers 102
Environmental Stress 109
Constant Stress 09
1
Tectonics 110
Earthquakes 1 1 1
Tectonic Uplift 1 1 6
Volcanic Eruptions 7
1 1
El Nirio Rains and Floods 120
Flood Studies Conducted in Peru 125
Introduction 2 5
1
Previous Flood Studies 1 2 5
The Prehistoric Flood Record in Northern Peru 127
The Prehistoric Flood Record in the Ilo Valley and
in the Coastal Quebradas Near Ilo,
Far-Southern Peru 13
Conclusions 1 3 7
METHODS
4 4
1
Introduction 40
1
Field Survey 1 4 1
Unit Excavations 143
Trenches 44
1
Shovel Testing 4 6
1
Unit Profiles and Floor Plans 14 8
Quebrada Geologic Columns 1 5
Mapping 15 2
Laboratory Analysis 15 3
Recovery of Carbon 15 3
Computer Methods 15 4
Creating Computer Maps, Profiles, and
Illustrations 1 5 4
Producing a Three Dimensional Model of the
Ilo Valley 1 5 6
Discussion 160
Vlll
5 SITE EXCAVATIONS 1 6 3
Introduction 16 3
Choosing the Locations of Units 164
Carrizal Quebrada 164
Miraflores Quebrada 169
Pocoma Quebrada 7
1 1
Excavations at Carrizal Quebrada 173
Introduction 17 3
Location and Descriptions of Units 173
Location and Descriptions of Geologic Columns 178
Location and Description of the Prehistoric Canal 18 2
....
Agricultural Terraces 18 3
Shovel Testing at Carrizal Quebrada 185
Introduction 1 8 5
Location and Description of the Shovel Tests 185
Cultural Area North of the Carrizal Quebrada 187
Excavations at Miraflores Quebrada 188
Introduction 18 8
Sunken Features at Miraflores Quebrada 188
Location and Description of Units and
Geologic Columns 19 3
Survey of the Upper Miraflores Quebrada 197
Excavations at Pocoma Quebrada 199
Introduction 99
1
Location and Description of Units and Profiles 199
Location and Description of Shovel Tests 203
Prehistoric Terraces 205
1982-83 Run-off Channel 205
Irrigation Canals 206
Geologic Columns 2 7
Location and Description of Shovel Tests 208
Investigations in the Ilo Valley 2 1 1
Introduction 2 1 1
The Ilo Valley Flood Sequence 2 1 1
Agricultural Terraces 2 1 2
What do Excavations Indicate about the
Flood Severity? 2 1 3
Introduction 2 1 3
Impact at Carrizal Quebrada 213
Impact at Miraflores Quebrada 216
Impact at Pocoma Quebrada 217
ix
Impact in the Ilo Valley 2 1 8
Evidence of the Survival or the Demise of
The Chiribaya 2 2
Post-Miraflores Cultural Activity 2 20
Carrizal Quebrada 2 20
Pocoma Quebrada 2 2
1
The Ilo Valley 222
Irrigated Agricultural in the Study Area 2 24
Introduction 2 24
Types of Terraces Used in the Study Area 2 24
Types of Canals Used in the Study Area 2 27
Irrigation Reservoirs 2 2 8
Discussion 229
6 EXCAVATED DATA 191
Introduction 2 3 1 "=
Types and Quantities of Material Expected from
Each Locality 2 3 1
Excavated Data from the Carrizal Quebrada 23 3
Excavated Data from the Miraflores 24 3
Excavated Data from Pocoma Quebrada 2 69
What Recovered Artifacts Indicate about the
Strength of the Flood 27 7
What Recovered Artifacts Indicate about a
Cultural Response or Change Caused by the Impact
of the Miraflores Flood 28 5
Why were the Agricultural Terraces near Ilo
Abandoned 28 6
7 PROFILE AND COLUMN DATA 2 9 2
Introduction 2 9 2
Carrizal Quebrada 292
Unit Profiles 29 2
Quebrada Geologic Columns 29 9
Miraflores Quebrada 3 1
Unit Profiles 301
Quebrada Geologic Columns 3 1 8 ,.i^
Pocoma Quebrada 3 2 3
Unit Profiles 3 2 3
Canal Profiles 3 2 7
x
