Fall/Winter 1997
Tiwanaku culture had its center in the Lake Titicaca basin, as did the Inca polity which succeeded it as a regional political force. In Tiwanaku times agricultural intensification left its mark on the landscape. Terrestrial surveys by Stanish and Kolata have identified ancient raised-field systems above the current shoreline. Could there be other traces now submerged? If so, how might their location contribute to current models of regional shifts in subsistence strategies and political power?	Underwater Archaeology in Peru, continued Although this was not the first attempt to dive Lake Titicaca, it is one of very few. Among those known for previous diving expeditions are both Jacques Cousteau and Johan Reinhard; Reinhard's work focused on the recovery of ritual offerings off the shores of the Island of the Sun. The focus of the present study was on more mundane aspects of daily life, such as evidence for agricultural intensification in the form of stone-walled terraces, raised fields, and domestic structures. Lake Titicaca is remarkable for its size (3,200 square miles), its elevation (12,500 feet), and its role in regional prehistory. Current reconstructions of changes in water level suggest that the shores of Lake Titicaca were from 15 to 45 meters below their present position at various times in the past 10,000 years. Today terraces, raised field systems, grazing animals, and stone walls are common along the shore's edge. Given the attractions of fresh water and a variety of lakeshore resources, it seems likely that early hunter-gatherer and pastoral groups utilized the former shores of the lake. However, ongoing research by Aldenderfer suggests that more intact locations were used instead. Did changing lake levels and shifts in salinity play a role? Tiwanaku culture had its center in the Lake Titicaca basin, as did the Inca polity which succeeded it as a regional political force. In Tiwanaku times agricultural intensification left its mark on the landscape. Terrestrial surveys by Stanish and Kolata have identified ancient raised-field systems above the current shoreline. Could there be other traces now submerged? If so, how might their location contribute to current models of regional shifts in subsistence strategies and political power? The goals of the pilot project were modest. First, to asses whether it was logistically feasible to conduct systematic underwater survey, given the safety concerns of high altitude diving and special equipment needs of SCUBA. Second, to form and impression of the probability of an archaeological return on the investment. While the logistical challenges were considerable, and not all our attempts met with success, our last day of diving (it is always the last day, isn't it?) produced clear evidence (see photo) that underwater archaeological remains, in this case a standing stone wall, do exist and can be found. Finding a wall in a mere two weeks of field time was somewhat remarkable. At this point, we have no way of dating it and its cultural significance is difficult to assess. But it proves that underwater archaeology can indeed yield information about past uses of the Titicaca Basin and suggests promise for future work. "A good day is worth a grin," says Jean Hudson, who is Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology.
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