Ancient Latin America Lectures - Sclerochronology in Latin American Archaeology with C. Fred T. Andrus

The Yale Ancient Latin America Lectures presents C. Fred T. Andrus, from the University of Alabama. Description of the talk available soon. Light lunch will be provided.

Sclerochronology is defined as the study of time series data derived from shells and
skeletons, such as growth increment patterns and sequential biogeochemical profiles.
Archaeologists have utilized this approach for over 50 years, but it is applied more o�ten
in North America and Europe than Latin America. The most common goals in
archaeo-sclerochronology focus on estimating season of capture of marine resources,
and by extension, permitting inferences regarding season of occupation and
reconstruction of subsistence strategies. More recently, archaeologists have applied
sclerochronology to reconstruct local climate and environmental conditions relevant to
ancient people, measure resource provenance, and assess seasonal activities beyond
subsistence. Sclerochronology in Latin American archaeology is encumbered by locally
complex seasonality, limited validation studies on modern taxa, and in some locales, a
dearth of useful zooarchaeological remains. However, this method has been successfully
applied in coastal Peru and to a lesser extent in areas of Central America and the
Atlantic coast of South America. This talk will include a general overview of the
technique and o�fer examples of how it provides insight into ancient Peruvian El Niño
impacts and Maya ritual practice.

This is a hybrid event. Join over Zoom here: https://yale.zoom.us/j/95956536842.