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Chiripa: Excavations of the area Quispe
Initial Excavations at Alejo and Quispe - José Luis Paz Soria
The first
work carried out in this area (called thus in retribución to the owner
of the land), was a sondeo of 2 x 2 m. in the coordinates N 1078 AND 1117. Desafortunadamente,
the stratigraphy of this sector is comprised of a solitary stratum that lies
down upon the phreatic level that is common in all the region. This factor impeded
the continuation of the excavations, but in the fund of the unit they were found
various material Tiwanaku I that associate to a "backfill of stones",
very similar to that of the areas Move away and Apaza (to see report of Rachel
Goddard in this same one artÌculo).
A second excavation in the coordinates N1066 E1125, discovered the corner N.OR. of a structure formativa, the same one that has a canal I enclose and a nítido floor in their interior (Figure 20). The wall oeste of this building measures 4.4 m., but the analisis of resistividad electrica (to see section of Gift Johnson and Figure 34) confirm its continuity toward the south. With relation to the north wall, this has 1 meter of length, and this interruption to given rise to two interpretations: 1) this segmento open is the entrance of this structure, or 2) this wall has been cut by the construction of a house contemporanea collapsed, whose presence has been corroborated for oral information and by the analisis electromagneticos already cited, although themselves not evidences of disturbance in the profiles are observed.
The walls of this building are characterized for having large stones that are you united by clay, and occasionally herself intercalan with a double row of small songs rolled.
This constructive style also is repeated in the canal that this near the corner, the same one that has an orientation of 2860 N.OR., a visible extension of 1.70 m. and a wide one of 40 cm (Figure 21). This canal without any doubt served for the drainage of the water pluviales, and a small one sondeo in its interior revealed the presence of large songs rolled that taponaron its operation, although himself not pudó to find its base because the cut of contrucción of this structure has disturbed all this sector (to see lines but down).
Nevertheless, the discovery but significant is a floor of color grisáceo (Chart 2 for gley 6/1) (Figure 21; Event F-6), very similar to that of the structure Choquehuanca (to see the sector of William Whitehead), that has 5 cm. of grosor average, although in some sectors presents an interfase too much ambiguous. This floor this slightly inclined toward the north, and is found mixed with a large quantity of guijarros large and gravel, for which we presume that it is a matter of a wall colapsado that accumulated in the internal corner of this structure by effects of the gravity (Event F-5).
Interestingly, a small one sondeo carried out under this floor, showed that the cut of construction to raise this building is enough open (Event F-9; Figure 22), since in the immediacies of the canal reaches the 60 cm. of wide and the 50 cm. of depth. However, the excessive humidity that is produced for the level freatico, impeded the continuation of the excavations. Figure 23 I explain it matris harris of the Quispe.
On the other hand, the analisis ceramicos of the Dra. It reads Steadman, have identified material Formativo Late in the interior of the structure and in its outside, and including in the backfill under the floor and in the cut of construction.
Interrpretaciones The logical reasoning indicates us that the finds of the area Move away they did not be isolated, since undoubtedly should be associates to algun type of building. Lamentably, we have not been able to find traces of this construción, but we suppose that the "backfill of stones" owes its formation to the destruction of various walls. Another explanatory alternative is the possibility of an area open, to way of patio (Eduardo Couple com. pers.) or superficia, and the alone canal complied with the functions to drain pluvial.
Upon the presence of material Chiripa Medium, this discovery corroborates that the extension of this periodicidad is enough large, since not alone himself restringe to the immediacies of the montículo. Nevertheless, I create that it is necessary to expand the excavations in this area to obtain a panorama but clear of all these finds.
With relation to the structure of the area Quispe, its constructive style is very similar to that of other buildings formativas, as that of Allkamari (Albarracin-Jordan 1992), T' ijini Leg (Mathews 1992) and that of the area LLusco in the same place of Chiripa (Hastorf et to the. 1996). However, the data of this season show that these walls of stone are in reality foundation, since its height does not exceed the 10 cm. since the level of the floor; ademas, over these alignments of stone they were found terrones of ground well compacted that are remainders of adobes. Another particularity of these buildings is the enough cut of building exaggerated, and is possible that be a matter of a technique to give him greater consistency to the foundation.
On the other hand, the structures of the areas LLusco and Quispe show several similaridades, as the roofs remainders absence and/or pillars, the great extension of its walls and the presence of canals in the corners but drops for drenar the water pluviales. These characteristics denote the caracter open of these buildings, and is possible that in their interior they exist areas of specific activity.
All these evidences aim to that the montículo centralizaba all the ceremonial activities, and the assembly of structures of their alrededores are buildings of caracter primarily domestic-residencial, although themselves is not discarded that several of them they have some another funcionalidad additional (storage, family rites, etc.) by the presence of materials decorated. Ademas, is logical to think that the builders of this religious complex lived in their immediacies.
By ultimo, an interesting detail is that the majority of the events of destruction of the areas Move away, Quispe and LLusco, relate to material Tiwanaku. To the respect, the chronologic refinement of the hiato that exists among the Period Chiripa Late and Tiwanaku Clasico, can help to clarify this appreciation.
Revised September 20, 2002 12:41 - For broken links or comments and suggestions email whitehea@sscl.berkeley.edu.