The First Archaeomagnetic Age at Tiwanaku and Implications for Dating Andean Metallurgical Furnaces

Abstract

This paper presents the first archaeomagnetic dating at Tiwanaku (Andean Altiplano). We compared the geomagnetic field values recorded by a metallurgical furnace against an updated SHAWQ2k-SH global model and a regional intensity curve, both of which include, for the first time, high-quality intensity data from the Southern Hemisphere. Results place the furnace's last use in 450–740 ce, and the decorated ceramic chronology at the site further constrains it to 570–740 ce, with maximum probability during the mid-late 600 s. This marks a significant methodological advance for Andean archaeometallurgy, addressing challenges posed by thermoluminescence and radiocarbon dating in the region.