Bioarchaeological study of the ancient Andean society

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H05639
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Cultural assets study and museology
• Research Institution: University of East Asia
• Principal Investigator: Uzawa Kazuhiro 東亜大学, 人間科学部, 教授 (60341252)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 長岡 朋人 聖マリアンナ医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (20360216) ; 關 雄二 国立民族学博物館, 人類文明誌研究部, 教授 (50163093) ; 瀧上 舞 山形大学, 人文社会科学部, 学術研究員 (50720942)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 考古学 / 文化財科学 / 生物考古学 / アンデス文明

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project aimed to understand the development of the ancient Andean civilization from the viewpoint of social change. We conducted a series of field surveys at the Pacopampa site in the northern highlands of Peru. Unearthed human and animal skeletal remains were studied using physical anthropological, zooarcheological, and earth science’ methodologies. This project revealed the actual condition of the repeated ritual violence and feasting in the temple from 1,800 BC to 500 BC. We consider that these practices contributed the social integration. It was also confirmed that llamas (Lama glama) had started to be raised near the site and that the introduction of livestock became a turning point that significantly changed the relationship between humans and animals. We concluded that these phenomena had been closely related to the emergence of elite hierarchy and the progress of inequality in the ancient Andean society.

Free Research Field

先史人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

古代アンデス文明は旧大陸の文明と交流せず、独自の発展をとげた。この研究では、古代アンデス社会にエリートが出現し、社会の複雑化が進んでいく過程を、遺跡に残された人骨、動物骨など生物考古学資料にもとづいて明らかにした。宗教儀礼と他地域との交易を管理することがエリートの機能であった可能性が示唆される。多様な文明の発展過程を明らかにすることは、現代社会を客観的に評価することにも貢献するだろう。