Under the direction of Dr. Robert Drennan, Mr. Carl Langebaek will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct archaeological survey and excavation in the Guatavita Valley located in a highland plateau ca. 25 km north of Bogota, Columbia. When the Spanish first arrived in this region, they found a hierarchical society with clear differentiation between chiefs and commoners. Although the archaeology of the region is not well known, available data trace settlement back to ca. 600 BC and indicate that before Spanish arrival, regional specialists produced salt as well as blankets and gold ornaments. To increase knowledge of this region Mr. Langebaek will direct a surface survey of the valley. The location of all sites will be mapped and surface materials collected. Limited excavation will also be carried out. On this basis, it should be possible to construct a detailed ceramic chronology and to trace changes in settlement pattern over time. Because excellent soil maps exist, this process can be placed into a detailed ecological context. Following the development of agriculture and pastoralism in many parts of the world, one can trace changes in social organization which lead, ultimately to the rise of states. Early in this process, chiefdoms arose and anthropologists still do not understand the mechanisms through which this happened. Some argue that population growth, permitted by a more stable subsistence base, provided the driving force while others point to factors such as the development of long distance trade. Mr. Langebaek's research addresses this issue. It will provide an independent data base which covers this transition. The Guatavita Valley is relatively small and thus offers a manageable unit. It is also unusual because good ethnohistoric documentation (provided by the Spanish) is also available and thus gives a solid point from which one can work back in time. This research is important because it will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will increase our understanding of how complex societies arise and will assist in the training of an extremely promising young scientist.
