ANT 120

Back in the Marveloso Valley, our team was provided with money to excavate up to three sites. In sector 4, the group decided to further pursue the following sites: MARV-61, MARV-69, and MARV-75. One of the reasons we decided on these particular sites is that all three come from the La Plata phase. The La Plata phase occurred between the years of 1000 to 1450 AD. During this time, the Wari Empire collapsed and the valley segmented into local kingdoms in some coast and highland areas. Since sector 4 is located in the highlands, it is probable that this region had been divided into kingdoms. By further investigating three sites from the same phase, we believe we will be able to have a better understanding and a larger plethora of knowledge about this time period. In addition, because the majority of our sites came about from this era, the team believed it was a wise thought to focus on the La Plata phase. Another reason we chose these sites is because of their grand distances from one another. All three are located in the vicinity of the river but MARV-61 is located at the lower end, MARV- 69 in the midsection, and MARV- 75 near the upper portion of the sector. Given the information that sporadic warfare was common during this period, we thought this was a significant observation and would provide additional background information to any artifacts we may find at the sites. The final reason as to the designation of these sites is the varying structures found at each. Since each site had different structures and therefore different purposes, as a team we believed that this would give us more insight into those particular aspects of life during the La Plata Phase. When it comes to excavation, a mixture of test pits as well as large trench excavations will be utilized. At MARV-75 (8739750 Northing, 335395 Easting), we would use a series of test pits in the site. In regards to this site, we are given information that there is evidence of "a village with public