8 Santiago EMILY DEAN AND DAVID KOJAN HE SANTIAGO AREA IS located in an agricultural Most of the excavated cultural surfaces date field on a sloping terrace, 20 meters north of to the Early and Middle Chiripa phases, which is the main Chiripa road and about 500 meters south, what we were purposefully searching for. During up from the shore of Lake Titicaca. Santiago lies our 1996 excavation we exposed one of the occu- downslope (north) of the Monticulo and Llusco pation surfaces, stratigraphic event B 16, over a areas and just east of a large seasonal riverbed wide area. Based on ceramic and radiocarbon (figures 2 and 10). It was named after the field evidence, we determined that it lies securely within owner in 1992 when TAP first excavated in that the Early Chiripa phase. The result of an AMS area. The Santiago I and II areas were first opened radiocarbon assay run on Locus 1316 of Santiago up in 1992 (Alconini and Amott in Hastorf et al. event B 16 is calibrated to 1374-1131 B.C. (see 1992). Intrigued by the presence of Early Chiripa figure 5 in chapter 4). With the exception of some ceramics, early radiocarbon dates, and complex intrusive Tiwanaku burials and pits, the Chiripa- deposits, we decided to reopen and expand these period levels were relatively undisturbed with very two areas in the 1996 field season. During the good preservation. One of the most important second week of excavations the areas of Santiago I questions being addressed at Santiago has been the and II were joined together and excavated as one depositional history of these surfaces. We know unit, called Santiago. By the end of the 1996 field that these strata are cultural in origin, but there are season the Santiago area measured 19 by 23 several possible explanations as to how they may meters at its widest points and reached depths have been deposited. ranging between 60 to 170 cms below the surfaceTE (figure 10). In general, Santiago is characterized TESRTGAH by a series of cultural surfaces, a few of which The stratigraphy at Santiago is deep and have been significantly excavated at this point; finely laminated (see appendix 2). A test excava- although many are only visible in profile from test tion at N 1100/E970 conducted in 1992 revealed excavations and intrusive pits. nearly two meters of cultural deposits with at least 38 Early Settlement at Chiripa, Bolivia N 1 10)4+ l .,.',,,,'... . ..... ...... N1102+ .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. . .. . . . -. . _. . .-.. l ., - ..... .. ... .,,,,.,,,,!.......... ...... ..,..,,........... .......... Inn j * N10960 -ASD 8 N 0 "B . 8 N1092 _ B16 . . . -.. . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . ... . . . .. . .. . .. . .. 1 e. . .... . I I . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . ........... 1 ~~~~~~~~~~ @ MDI8 | N1+ 6 ........... ............... o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .... .... ... ... .... .... v a M , ?1 t ., , ,.,,, ,.,,,,- ,.,., ,.,,, ,.,, .. ,.,,,,,- -.,.,- -.-.-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ., . .. ..... . ,. .. .... D l8 ..-............................................. ,................ ........................................ N11 l ,~~~~~.,...,....... .,,, .., , . . .. .. . +Ei56 iE958 +E960 962 +E964 +E966 TEg6 l 970 'E972 E974 +Ei76 TE978 +E9.8..0........................ I;IGURE 10 Santiago schematic excavation plan................... Santiago 39 15 distinct occupation events. Ceramic analysis screen or the floated heavy fractions. The B 13 and radiocarbon dating indicates that the deposits matrix lies immediately above the Early Chiripa at Santiago below the upper 50 cm date to the occupation surface (B 16). A notable feature of the Early Chiripa phase. "Orange Granola" is that it occurs in amorphous, Excavating a well-defined Early Chiripa homogeneous patches ranging from approximately occupation surface at Santiago was one of our one to four meters in diameter (figure 10). It is main goals during the 1996 field season. We distinct from all other types of soil that occurred in found this in event B 16, a compact-textured, dark- the Santiago excavation. From observation of the colored (7.5YR 2.5/1), silty clay loam, character- surrounding soil it is clear that the B 13 material is ized by finely laminated carbon layers, a heavy imported, possibly from one of the nearby creek artifact density, and the presence of numerous beds or other exposed "sterile soils" whose color associated ash and bone filled pits. We excavated and texture it strongly resembles. Based on its B 16 across a 10 meter by 5 meter area. One of the spatial distribution and consultation with soil most notable features about the B 16 event is its micromorphologist Melissa Goodman, we inter- variability. In some areas it is well defined and pret the B 13 patches as a highly eroded adobe stratigraphically distinct, while in adjoining areas, brick matrix. The eroded adobe hypothesis is it is indistinct from the strata above and below it. supported by the presence of identical material at B 16 tended to be most intact and easy to define in Monticulo associated with ASD 14 which is more the central and southern sections of the unit (figure obviously the result of adobe wall fall. Similar 10). material also can be seen in the construction (and In conjunction with the B 16 surface there is destruction) of modern adobe houses throughout a wall, ASD 17, uncovered in the 1996 season in the Chiripa community. the N1090-1092/E976-978 corridor (figure 10). Perhaps the most significant feature to date The fill to the east of ASD 17 is stratigraphically in the Santiago area is the "semi-subterranean undifferentiated with mixed Tiwanaku and Chiripa enclosure," called ASD 18 (figure 3). This ceramic assemblages (this mixing could be explained structure's walls have only been partially exposed by the presence of an intrusive Tiwanaku pit on three sides. From the 1992 excavations we visible in the 1092 N/978 E east side wall). The know that the stratigraphy on the inside of the wall fill to the west of the wall, however, is character- (south-west side) has only four to five discernible ized by Middle Chiripa sherds in the upper levels levels throughout one meter of deposit. The fill and Early Chiripa sherds in the lower levels. sits on sterile soil; with gray clay fill that has thin Based on ceramic evidence, the depth of the yellow floor layer. Above that is a thick amor- wall beneath the surface (considerably lower than phous fill. The ceramic analysis of the 1992 any of the Tiwanaku walls excavated at Santiago assemblages indicates that this fill is chronologi- in 1992), and the associated radiocarbon dates cally stratified, with Middle Chiripa wares at the (Locus 1322 calibrated to 1211-1012 B.C.), bottom in contact with sterile soil, up through the western ASD 17 appears to date to the Early floor. All layers above this are Late Chiripa wares Chiripa phase. up to the top. The west face of the wall was Another interesting aspect of the Santiago plastered, suggesting that it was the inside of the stratigraphy is the presence of the B 13 event, structure (figure 3). Stratigraphic and ceramic (what we call "Orange Granola") seen across this evidence suggests that the semisubterranean same central area (figure 10). Without exception, structure was constructed during the Middle it manifests itself as a sterile, orange, silty clay Chiripa phase, cutting through the earlier strata loam matrix with numerous gravel inclusions including the B- 16 surface. (5YR 5/6). Its gravel inclusions tend to be clus- The fill, excavated west of the wall, is full of tered near the top of the layer while the bottom chronologically stratified Late and Middle Chiripa consists of a finer-grained matrix, reminiscent of a artifacts. The deposition pattern of this fill sug- water-transported alluvium. Very few artifacts gests dumping episodes that took place after the were recovered from this deposit in either the wall was constructed. 40 Early Settlement at Chiripa, Bolivia DOMESTIC OR "SPECIAL PURPOSE" SPACE? since cooking wares are usually self-slipped. The recovery during the 1992 excavations of large and There are some indications that the exposed Early Chiripa surfaces to the east of ASD 18, the small cooking vessels in association with in situ searlyubterranean struct Chiripa burnt areas suggest that feasting may have oc- semi-subterranean structure, reflect domestic cre nti raa el living surfaces. Both the 1992 and 1996 excava- cuffed in this area as well. tions uncovered prepared plastered floors (the One of the main features in the Santiago stratigraphic event B30 in 1996, for example) and area supporting a ritual or special purpose use of other levels that appear to be occupation zones due the area is ASD 18, the "semi-subterranean to their thick, finely laminated carbon lenses. I enclosure" (figure 3). Excavation thus far indi- addition to ASD 17, the stone wall associated with cates that this structure was a four-sided, approxi- ournearly Chiripa occupation zone (event Ba16) in mately 14 m, trapezoidal, plaster-walled, yellow- the eastern portion of the unit (figure 10), we floored, stone enclosure, many courses high encountered patches of an "Orange Granola" (figure 1 1). We are probably seeing the interior of adobe melt (event Bo13) sitting across the top of a sunken special purpose area, later filled in. the B 16 layer. Both ASD 17 and our patches of Several animal offerings (guinea pig and camelid) mthedB16 lader. suggeSt rte simple Early ptchi recovered at the northeast corner of the wall domestic structures. strengthen the case for ritual use of this structure. Artifactual evidence also lends credence to a While the radiocarbon date of at least one of these domestic occupation at'Santiago. According to ~. offerings post-dates our Early Chiripa occupation domestic occupation at Santiago. According to Dr. Lee Steadman, the ceramic assemblages from at the area, the presence of offerings in conjunc- most of the Early Chiripa levels, which are plain tion with ASD 18 once again indicates the ritually and undecorated, appear to be domestic wares. charged nature of the area. The high percentage of worked bone awls and In approximately the middle of the North- needles recovered during excavation; the discov- South wall there is a small stone extension that ery of a bone weaving comb and ceramic spindle measures roughly 50 x 50 cms (figure 11). The whorls; and Matthew Bandy's lithic analysis stonework of this "box" matches the rest of ASD indicating that primary lithic reduction and 18. Based on this and a close examination of its production of stone tools was taking place at this stratigraphic profile, the extension's construction area, also suggest domestic activities. Addition- appears to have been contemporaneous with the ally, the high density of fish bone recovered may rest of the wall. The ASD 18 box may have been a be associated with "every day" food preparation. niche, a storage area, or a space for stairs leading Finally, in situ burned areas, ash pits, and ash down into the open "courtyard." It is well made dumping episodes further support the domestic and unique in such rectangular structures, suggest- hypothesis. ing a very special carving up of space and use for Other evidence supports the idea that this the larger structure. was a ritual or "special" area. From the high CONCLUSION number of interments excavated in 1992, it is clear that Santiago served as a burial ground during Although the analysis and interpretation of Chiripa through Tiwanaku eras. The 1996 excava- the Santiago data is ongoing, this area of the site tions uncovered one stone-lined pit burial contain- has already raised some interesting questions ing the flexed body of a woman facing north and about Formative domestic life at Chiripa and its buried with blue sodalite beads and a 'killed' relationship to the ritual world. Most importantly, broken metate-Event B 1 1-that lies beneath Late the proximity of the excavated occupation surfaces Chiripa levels rather than cutting through them. to and with the semi-subterranean enclosure Moreover, ceramics recovered from the 1992 indicates that there was not a clear spatial separa- excavation of a Santiago Early Chiripa level are tion between ritual and domestic structures and characterized by a higher percentage of red slips activity areas at this Formative site. Llama bone than those found in other areas of the site, possibly concentrations, bunials, guinea pig offerings, 'fine' indicating a special use function for this area, domestic wares, burials with offerings, sodalite Santiago 41 t5 E B '-.s:.;eg:.: - - - . . . . . - - . - - .- . 7 .. . - - .. . .: .-: ...::: -: :: .:v:::: :::~~~~~~~~~.. ......... ..... 7~~~~~~~ v 7 "; it"'-1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...-'L.. . ,''"'f'' 'V.... " V..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.... FIGURE 11 Wall of Santiago semi-subterranean structure (ASD 18) with niche. beads, and ochre-painted 'killed' metates co-exist tures at other early Andean sites such as El Paraiso with evidence of everyday food preparation, lithic (Quilter et al. 1991). It would be very interesting tool production, and textile and farming implements. to examine the evidence of domestic ritual activity Ethnographic and ethnohistoric research (off mound) at other early sites, such as La from the region by anthropologists such as Denise Galgada and Kotosh. Because households have Arnold (1991) has shown that even the 'common' not received much attention in Andean archaeol- adobe household, from its walls to its rafters and ogy until recently, it is difficult to make broad thatch, is imbued with ritual and symbolic signifi- spatial comparisons in our fine-resolution domes- cance, creating and reflecting the Aymara cosmo- tic activity questions. The archaeological remains logical order. Strict divisions between the sacred from Santiago blur the division between ritual and and the mundane did not necessarily apply in the domestic, between places of worship and places of past either. We encounter evidence of domestic daily life at Formative Chiripa. structures in association with 'temple-like' struc-