Scraping the pots: residue analysis of Salinar ceramic vessels found in domestic contexts at Pampa la Cruz, Huanchaco, North Coast of Peru

Abstract

In this paper, we present preliminary results of organic residues analysis taken from ceramic vessels found in domestic contexts at the site of Pampa la Cruz, North Coast of Peru. This study emphasizes the importance of plant consumption among early fishermen populations against traditional assumptions that cultivated crops were of minor significant to these communities. More important, it opens the possibility to explore the social and economic relationships between fishing and farming communities and even distant-trade during the late early Horizon (ca, BP) or after the Chavin sphere of interaction collapse. Our results show that the use of ceramic vessels was linked to the consumption of several fruits, tubers and even Theobroma spp. "cacao" which is up to date, the earliest evidence of this species in the entire south Pacific Coast. The identification of damage due to processing modes (grounding, boiling, toasting, and fermenting) in the starches of these taxa indicates that the stages reported by ethnographic literature for the making of sophisticated fermented beverages like chicha were carried out at the site. This show the importance of activities associated with the production and consumption of fermented beverages among ancient fishing communities.