Volcanic Activity and Human Occupation of the Northern Andes: The Application of Tephrostratigraphic Techniques to The Problem of Human Settlement in The Western Montana During The Ecuadorian Formative

This dissertation includes two related studies. The first study applies tephrostratigraphic techniques to correlate and source subaerial fallout tephra deposits which mantle Formative Period archaeological sites in the western montana and the Quito basin of Pichincha Province, Ecuador. Excavations in the Tulipe valley defined the Nueva Era Phase occupation, 1200-335 B.C., and the Tulipe Phase occupation, A.D. 800-1660, separated stratigraphically by a 2.5m column of culturally sterile tephra which represents a short period of intense volcanic activity dating to 335 B.C. The Tulipe Phase occupation is also mantled by a tephra deposit dated A.D. 1660. The sources for the two tephra mantles are Volcano Pululagua (Nueva Era Phase tephra) and Guagua Pichincha (Tulipe Phase tephra). Correlation of these tephras with contemporary archaeological sites and identification of their sources permitted assessments of the relative magnitude of the eruptions.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Anthropology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Date dc:date

10000-01-01

Author dc:creator

• Isaacson, John Simon

• Anthropology, Archaeology

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8721664

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/70702