Characterisation of charcoal assemblages from archaeological sites in the Colombian Amazon region : a model based on ethnography
This thesis reports on research concerning archaeological charcoal assemblage characterisation from the tropical rain forest in the Amazon region of Colombia. A charcoal assemblage from the archaeological site of Pella Roja has been studied in detail. Pena Roja site is located in the middle Caqueta river of the Colombian Amazon region. Two prehistoric human occupations have been reported from this site. The earliest has been radiocarbon dated to 9250Â±140, 9160Â±90 and 9125Â±250 years BP; and is associated with hunter-gatherers who were aceramic but probably practised small scale horticulture. The later occupation of the site is associated with a ceramic culture where agriculture was practised. This has been dated to between 1900 and 400 years BP according to radiocarbon dates reported at other related sites from the middle Caqueta river. The specific objectives of this research are to build a model to investigate charcoal assemblage formation in archaeological sites from the Colombian Amazon; to formulate hypotheses about prehistoric uses of wood in the middle Caqueta region and to assess the current charcoal analysis in archaeobotany by means of the analysis of a test sample of charcoals from Pena Roja.
Archila Montanez, Sonia Edelmira
Archaeology
Characterisation of charcoal assemblages from archaeological sites in the Colombian Amazon region : a model based on ethnography. This thesis reports on research concerning archaeological charcoal assemblage characterisation from the tropical rain forest in the Amazon region of Colombia. A charcoal assemblage from the archaeological site of Pella Roja has been studied in detail. Pena Roja site is located in the middle Caqueta river of the Colombian Amazon region. Two prehistoric human occupations have been reported from this site. The earliest has been radiocarbon dated to 9250Â±140, 9160Â±90 and 9125Â±250 years BP; and is associated with hunter-gatherers who were aceramic but probably practised small scale horticulture. The later occupation of the site is associated with a ceramic culture where agriculture was practised. This has been dated to between 1900 and 400 years BP according to radiocarbon dates reported at other related sites from the middle Caqueta river. The specific objectives of this research are to build a model to investigate charcoal assemblage formation in archaeological sites from the Colombian Amazon; to formulate hypotheses about prehistoric uses of wood in the middle Caqueta region and to assess the current charcoal analysis in archaeobotany by means of the analysis of a test sample of charcoals from Pena Roja.
characterisation charcoal assemblages archaeological_site colombian region model_base ethnography report concern archaeological charcoal assemblage characterisation tropical rain forest region colombia charcoal assemblage archaeological_site study_detail site_locate middle river colombian region prehistoric_human occupation report site early radiocarbon_date year associate hunter_gatherer probably practise small_scale horticulture later occupation_site associate ceramic culture agriculture practise date accord radiocarbon_date report related site middle river specific_objective build model investigate charcoal assemblage formation archaeological_site colombian formulate hypothesis prehistoric wood middle region ass current charcoal analysis archaeobotany mean analysis test sample charcoal