Charcoal fragments for accelerated mass spectrometry 14C dating were collected during the excavation; yellow triangles indicate their depth. Yellow squares indicate the locations of sediment samples that were analysed for phytoliths; these were sampled after the excavation from the vertical profile. The dashed line indicates the transition from the ceramic phase to the pre-ceramic phase. This transition is characterized by a sharp increase in the compactness of sediments and amount of burnt earth. Values in parentheses are median cal. yr BP. A chronological gap of almost 4,500 years exists between the two phases. All of these differences make it possible to exclude any contamination of the pre-ceramic contexts with phytoliths that come from the ceramic contexts. Descriptions of the archaeological excavations at Isla del Tesoro (SM1), La Chacra (SM3) and San Pablo (SM4) have previously been published.
This image is embedded in ...