Studied by 1 person
Archeology
Scientific investigations of archeological sites and past material remains
Ethnohistory
Analysis of written spanish/indigeonous accounts during the colonial period
Ethnology
use of modern ethnographic data from indigeonous communities
genetics/isotopes
data from human remains to asses population movement, interbreeding, ancestry of the past
Prehistoric and Colonial records
Maya hieroglyphs and codex - only from mesoamerica
Colonial accounts
from living members or descendants
Scientific chronometric dating
14C (carbon isotope) and tree ring dating
Importance of Geography
Latin america prehistory is closely tied to the physical landscape
High biological, physical, climactic and topographical diversity = high cultural diversity
Sources of risk
tectonically active (volcanos and earthquakes)
major upheavals in weather and climate (hurricanes, frosts, droughts, El nino)
soil quality ( acidic, shallow, rocky, easily depleted and eroded)
water scarcity and seasonal rains
different risks in highlands vs lowlands
The Humboldt Current
Coastal desert is a production of northerly cold humboldt current hugs shore
Upwelling provides cold water, trillions of phytoplankton = basis of marine food chain
Intensive anchovy production
Cultural and sacred landscapes
Highlands and lowlands
Sacred locations like (springs, lakes, mountains)
Syncretism of ancient and christian religions
Major Physiographic Features
Highland- volcano spine of latin america
Warm tropical Gulf coast and of lower Central america
Desert coast of W South america
Amazon Basin
Gran Chaco of Argentina
Temperate rain forest of South Chile and subalpine area of Patagonia
Tierra Fria
Arid highland areas above 2,000masl; northern and central mexico
Tierra Templada
temperate, sub-humid lands 1,000-2,000masl; farming land
Tierra caliente
Hot, humid lowlands below 1,000 masl
Highland Mexico and Central America
Convergence of Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental
Line (E-W) of volcanos across Mexico
Seasonal and generally semi-arid, but more humid as you move south
Gulf coast and Tropical Lowlands
Hot, humid conditions along both coasts (atlantic and pacific)
Fertile coastal plain of mexico with volcanic rich soils
Lower complexity of prehistoric cultural developments in the tropics (with exceptions)
Andean Reigion
High risk, unpredictable environment with chronic (hypoxia) and episodic (precipitation, frosts) stress
Andes contain worlds longest and second highest mountain range; and world driest desert
One of worlds most tectonically active zones in the worlds, includes earthquakes, tidal waves volcanic eruptions.
Andean verticality
Andean Mountain chain provide a contiguous and varied array of ecological zones or “floors” defined by altitude, aspect, latitude and longitude
Verticality and Zonal Complementarity
Past and present cultures of the andes managed and controlled different production zones to obtain a complete range of foods and adequate nutrition (2 main components- proteins and carbohydrates)
Zonal complementarity is required in such an ecological diverse region
The Amazon basin
Largest river on earth by volume
Watershed around 6 million kilometers squared
tropical rainforest (viewed as a barrier by prehistoric and colonial powers)
more sophisticated cultures than previously thought
The Gran Chaco and the “Pampas”
Large grassy plain in south america (humid and dry)
Major area for cattle grazing in colonial and modern times
Light prehistoric developments in the region
The far southern cone: temperate rain forest and Patagonia
A dense temperate rain forest on pacific side (South Chile) and dry in the northern part
Patagonia: rugged, sub alpine landscape with cold erratic weather
Low degree of prehistoric development
A dynamic Paleiclimate
Continuously fluctioating climate conditions across a spatial and temporal scale
CO2, oxygen isotope (16O, 18O) data from ice cores (glaciers) and seashells in the ocean
Paleoclimatic record in the form of droughts, warm/cold periods, ENSO events, etc.
Early explorations in central america
Stephens and Catherwood
Published drawings and descriptions of ruins in mexico and central america
Alexander Von Humboldt
German naturalist, exploreer and polymath
Ephriam Squier
American diplomat, explorer and artist
Birth of latin american archeology
unofficial start date in Latin America ca. 1900
Mix od prominent europeans and national archeologists
Large excavation projects and building chronologies
Note 
Flashcard (25)