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Integration of Archaeological Phase Information and Radiocarbon Results from the Jama River Valley, Ecuador: A Bayesian Approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

James A. Zeidler ,
Caitlin E. Buck  and
Clifford D. Litton
James A. Zeidler
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, 109 Davenport Hall, 607 South Mathews Avenue, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
Caitlin E. Buck
Affiliation:
School of History and Archaeology, University of Wales, P.O. Box 909, Cardiff CF1 3XU, Wales, United Kingdom
Clifford D. Litton
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, England, United Kingdom
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Abstract

Archaeological syntheses of western Ecuadorian prehistory have been hampered by a lack of reliable absolute chronologies and detailed cultural sequences for many key areas, one of which is northern Manabí Province, known principally as the territory of the Jama-Coaque cultural tradition. This study presents a seven-phase cultural sequence for the Jama River valley of northern Manabí that spans over 3,600 calendar years. A statistical model relating the successive archaeological phases is established, based on prior knowledge of the stratigraphy and ceramic seriation from key archaeological sites throughout the valley. A Bayesian statistical approach is then employed to calibrate 37 radiocarbon determinations for the purpose of estimating calendar dates for the limits of these phases. Apart from its contribution to the prehistory of a poorly studied area, the analysis illustrates the value of a probabilistic Bayesian approach to radiocarbon calibration, especially when the determinations relate to archaeologically predefined phases. It also demonstrates the dangers of uncritically applying generalized periodization schemes to specific sequences of historical development and highlights the need for reassessing Ecuadorian chronology through more precise interregional correlations.

Las síntesis arqueológicas de la prehistoria del occidente ecuatoriano han sido entorpecidas por la falta de cronologías absolutas confiables y secuencias culturales detalladas para muchas áreas claves, una de las cuales es el sector meridional de la Provincia de Manabí, conocido principalmente como el territorio de la tradición cultural Jama-Coaque. Este estudio presenta una secuencia cultural de siete fases para la cuenca del Río Jama de Manabí norte, la cual abarca unos 3,600 años calendáricos. Se establece un modelo estadístico, derivado de conocimiento previo de la estratigrafía y la seriación cerámica de sitios arqueológicos claves por todo el valle, el cual relaciona las fases arqueológicas sucesivas. Posteriormente, se emplea un enfoque estadístico Bayesiano para la calibración de 37 fechamientos radiocarbónicos con el fin de estimar las fechas calendáricas correspondientes a los límites de cada fase. Aparte de su contribución a la prehistoria de un área poco conocida, el análisis ilustra el valor de un enfoque probabilístico Bayesiano para la calibración radiocarbónica, especialmente cuando los fechamientos disponibles provienen de fases predefinidas arqueológicamente. También demuestra el peligro en aplicar, con falta de sentido crítico, los esquemas de periodificación generalizados a secuencias específicas de desarrollo histórico, y destaca la necesidad de evaluar nuevamente la cronología ecuatoriana mediante correlaciones interregionales más precisas.

Type
Reports
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , June 1998 , pp. 160 - 179
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1998

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