Archaeological Investigations at Yuthu: New Data on the Formative Period in Cusco, Perú (400-100 BC)

Abstract

Until recently very little archaeology in Cusco has focused on pre-Inka periods. This article aims to mitigate this shortcoming by presenting the results of excavations and artifact analyses conducted between 2005 and 2009 at Yuthu, a Formative Period site (400-100 BC). We will (1) describe the architecture and archaeological features found in two sectors at Yuthu, emphasizing the stratigraphic order and absolute chronology of the principal contexts, and (2) present the results of analyses of pottery, stone tools, animal bones, and botanical remains. The villagers of Yuthu divided their settlement into domestic and ceremonial spaces. Furthermore, they were shepherds and farmers living within a regional political system that was part of an even wider trade network that extended into the jungle and into other parts of the Andean highlands.