Spatial structure among the geometric earthworks of western Amazonia (Acre, Brazil)

Authors: Riris, P.

Journal: Journal of Anthropological Archaeology

Volume: 59

eISSN: 1090-2686

ISSN: 0278-4165

DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2020.101177

Abstract:

Fieldwork and desk-based research in the western Amazon basin has led to an explosive growth in the state of knowledge surrounding the pre-Columbian archaeology of this region. Previously thought to be a sparsely occupied environment, archaeologists have recorded hundreds of geometric earthworks between the Purús and Acre rivers in recent years, spurring renewed interest in understanding the distribution, age, and function of these structures. A challenge has been to identify possible relationships between sites and to place them in their broader landscape setting. The precise spatial scale, relative importance of different factors, and strength of any relationships that contributed to shaping their distributions remain an open question. This paper develops and applies an explicitly spatial framework to address this problem, drawing on a rich body of recent research in Acre state (Brazil) and advanced point process modelling. The analytical approach, which is fully documented and reproducible with the accompanying code, infers the factors affecting geometric earthwork distribution at multiple spatial scales. This enables the first robust predictions of territorial integration in the region, which is discussed context of extant archaeological models. The findings support the interpretation that non-stratified societies likely occupied Acre during the late pre-Columbian period.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33998/

Source: Scopus

Spatial structure among the geometric earthworks of western Amazonia (Acre, Brazil)

Authors: Riris, P.

Journal: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

Volume: 59

eISSN: 1090-2686

ISSN: 0278-4165

DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2020.101177

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33998/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

Spatial Structure among the Geometric Earthworks of western Amazonia (Acre, Brazil)

Authors: Riris, P.

Journal: Journal of Anthropological Archaeology

Publisher: Elsevier

ISSN: 0278-4165

Abstract:

Field­work and desk-based re­search in the west­ern Ama­zon basin has led to an ex­plo­sive growth in the state of knowl­edge sur­round­ing the pre-Columbian ar­chae­ol­ogy of this re­gion. Pre­vi­ously thought to be a sparsely oc­cu­pied en­vi­ron­ment, ar­chae­ol­o­gists have recorded hun­dreds of geo­met­ric earth­works be­tween the Purús and Acre rivers in re­cent years, spurring re­newed in­ter­est in un­der­stand­ing the dis­tri­b­u­tion, age, and func­tion of these struc­tures. A chal­lenge has been to iden­tify pos­si­ble re­la­tion­ships be­tween sites and to place them in their broader land­scape set­ting. The pre­cise spa­tial scale, rel­a­tive im­por­tance of dif­fer­ent fac­tors, and strength of any re­la­tion­ships that con­tributed to shap­ing their dis­tri­b­u­tions re­main an open ques­tion. This pa­per de­vel­ops and ap­plies an ex­plic­itly spa­tial frame­work to ad­dress this prob­lem, draw­ing on a rich body of re­cent re­search in Acre state (Brazil) and ad­vanced point process mod­el­ling. The an­a­lyt­i­cal ap­proach, which is fully doc­u­mented and re­pro­ducible with the ac­com­pa­ny­ing code, in­fers the fac­tors af­fect­ing geo­met­ric earth­work dis­tri­b­u­tion at mul­ti­ple spa­tial scales. This en­ables the first ro­bust pre­dic­tions of ter­ri­to­r­ial in­te­gra­tion in the re­gion, which is dis­cussed con­text of ex­tant ar­chae­o­log­i­cal mod­els. The find­ings sup­port the in­ter­pre­ta­tion that non-strat­i­fied so­ci­eties likely oc­cu­pied Acre dur­ing the late pre-Columbian pe­riod.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33998/

Source: Manual

Spatial Structure among the Geometric Earthworks of western Amazonia (Acre, Brazil)

Authors: Riris, P.

Journal: Journal of Anthropological Archaeology

Volume: 59

Issue: September

ISSN: 0278-4165

Abstract:

Field­work and desk-based re­search in the west­ern Ama­zon basin has led to an ex­plo­sive growth in the state of knowl­edge sur­round­ing the pre-Columbian ar­chae­ol­ogy of this re­gion. Pre­vi­ously thought to be a sparsely oc­cu­pied en­vi­ron­ment, ar­chae­ol­o­gists have recorded hun­dreds of geo­met­ric earth­works be­tween the Purús and Acre rivers in re­cent years, spurring re­newed in­ter­est in un­der­stand­ing the dis­tri­b­u­tion, age, and func­tion of these struc­tures. A chal­lenge has been to iden­tify pos­si­ble re­la­tion­ships be­tween sites and to place them in their broader land­scape set­ting. The pre­cise spa­tial scale, rel­a­tive im­por­tance of dif­fer­ent fac­tors, and strength of any re­la­tion­ships that con­tributed to shap­ing their dis­tri­b­u­tions re­main an open ques­tion. This pa­per de­vel­ops and ap­plies an ex­plic­itly spa­tial frame­work to ad­dress this prob­lem, draw­ing on a rich body of re­cent re­search in Acre state (Brazil) and ad­vanced point process mod­el­ling. The an­a­lyt­i­cal ap­proach, which is fully doc­u­mented and re­pro­ducible with the ac­com­pa­ny­ing code, in­fers the fac­tors af­fect­ing geo­met­ric earth­work dis­tri­b­u­tion at mul­ti­ple spa­tial scales. This en­ables the first ro­bust pre­dic­tions of ter­ri­to­r­ial in­te­gra­tion in the re­gion, which is dis­cussed con­text of ex­tant ar­chae­o­log­i­cal mod­els. The find­ings sup­port the in­ter­pre­ta­tion that non-strat­i­fied so­ci­eties likely oc­cu­pied Acre dur­ing the late pre-Columbian pe­riod.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33998/

Source: BURO EPrints