Domestic Life during the Late Intermediate Period at El Campanario Site, Huarmey Valley, Peru

This dissertation investigates domestic activities conducted at El Campanario, an important settlement in the Huarmey Valley which is located in the north-central coast of Peru. The archaeological excavations and material analyses conducted at El Campanario for this dissertation revealed the presence of a characteristic ceramic style containing incised and press-molded decoration. This distinctive ceramic style is commonly denominated Casma and can be found along the Peruvian coast between the Chao Valley to the north and the Huarmey Valley to the south. The excavations were conducted in domestic contexts which were identified from the surface based on food remains and large vessels for cooking and storing. The results presented in this research are based on 10 weeks of fieldwork at El Campanario. In addition, pottery analysis, textiles, marine resources and plant remains were also analyzed so as to understand the activities conducted within the households. This research is oriented to the observation of household organization and production activities in the Huarmey valley in order to examine the relationship between the inhabitants of El Campanario site to other Casma sites and cultural groups. The archaeological excavations conducted in domestic contexts have provided substantial information to reconstruct subsistence practices, access to food sources and raw materials, as well as the identification of ceramic, textile and chicha production. Evidence suggests that production and subsistence practices (processing and cooking) were embedded in daily activities without the direct supervision of local elite or a centralized government