A civilization settled in the Peruvian Andes 1,000 years before … – RTVE

RTVE.es/EUROPA PRESS – MADRID

A team of archaeologists from the University of Maine has documented the human occupation at high altitude has been produced anywhere in the world: the Andes of southern Peru nearly 4,500 meters above sea ​​level . The main finding made in this study, published in ‘Science’, is this settlement that occurred 1,000 years before what was documented.

Despite the low temperatures, high solar radiation and conditions low oxygen at that altitude, hunter-gatherers settled this area about 12,000 years ago, during the Terminal Pleistocene.

It would not be until 2000 years after humans come to America South.

This work will provide valuable data to study human adaptation to extreme environments, an issue which, as explained by the lead author, Kurt Rademaker, “it is important to understand the cultural and genetic capacity for survival of man “.

The study area led them to find Pucuncho at 4355 meters over sea level, 260 instruments for human use , such as projectile points and scrapers and unifaciales- -bifaciales dating back to 12,800 years old.

have also found objects Cuncaicha, at higher altitude, 4480 meters, but dated 400 years later. There have been two rocky alcoves overlooking wetlands and grasslands covered with soot on their roofs cave art. “ probably was a basis camp”, experts have suggested.

The researchers explained that Pucuncho was a “high-altitude oasis for specialized hunting, particularly vicuna, and Later, grazing of domesticated alpacas and llamas. ” But determined that while the Pucuncho basin could have been man’s residence throughout the year, storms of the rainy season and the dangers of hypothermia and the need to keep your belongings may have encouraged regular descents.

In addition, the lithic debitage and tools include, rocks nonlocal fine grain. That would have required residents to visit the plateau rivers of the lower elevations.