Effect of the Spanish Conquest on coastal change in Northwestern Peru.
When Francisco Pizarro and his small band of Spanish conquistadores landed in northern Peru in A.D. 1532 to begin their conquest of the vast Inca Empire, they initiated profound changes in the culture, language, technology, economics, and demography of western South America. They also altered anthropogenically modulated processes of shoreline change that had functioned for millennia. Beginning with the extirpation of local cultures as a result of the Spanish Conquest, and continuing through today, the intersection of demography, economy, and El Niño-driven beach-ridge formation on the Chira beach-ridge plain of Northwestern Peru has changed the nature of coastal evolution in this region. A similar event may have occurred at about 2800 calibrated y B.P. in association with increased El Niño frequency.
School of Earth and Climate Sciences,Climate Change Institute, Bryand Global Sciences Center, and belknap@maine.edu.
Daniel F
DF
Belknap
Climate Change Institute, Bryand Global Sciences Center, andDepartment of Anthropology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469.
Daniel H
DH
Sandweiss
D001106:Archaeology / Q000379:methods; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000266:history*; D003469:Culture; D003710:Demography; D004467:Economics / Q000266:history*; D004777:Environment; D005398:Fisheries / Q000266:history; D005844:Geology / Q000379:methods; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000266:history*; D055110:Radiometric Dating; D013030:Spain