„Between September 16 and 22, the VI International Meeting for Amazonian Archaeology occurred in San José de Guaviare, Colombia. This conference brought together specialists in Amazonian archaeology from more than twenty countries to share their research progress in the region.
The presentations were organized into symposia, each addressing a specific topic, allowing the opportunity to present research according to areas of interest. The first symposia in which I had the opportunity to participate was Symposium 2: Houses, Earthworks, and Cities of the Amazonian Past, were I had the opportunity to present “Monumentality and Sustainability: The Tectonic Lakes of Exaltación in the Moxos Plains and Their Impact on History, Cultural Diversity, and Sustainable Natural Resource Management.” In this presentation, we shared the results of the scientific expedition to the Great Tectonic Lakes of Exaltación, conducted with the Grupo de Trabajo para los Llanos de Moxos. The presentation highlighted the work the Paquío, Coquinal, and Jasschaja sites, where drone flights using LiDAR technology were conducted, and revealing complexes with monumental architecture. Archaeological excavations at these sites provided information on these settlements’ antiquity, diet, and the ceramic technology present. Carla Jaimes, Renán Torrico, and I delivered this presentation.
The second presentation took part in Symposium 4: Early Ceramics and the Amazonian Formative Period. We presented “Los Caracoles: The First Settlements and Ceramic Variety during the Middle Holocene in the Llanos de Moxos” in this session. In this presentation, we shared the results of the excavations carried out at the Los Caracoles site within the framework of the Scientific Expedition to the Reyes and Santa Rosa Lakes Project. This site yielded the earliest ceramics recorded in the Llanos de Moxos. Additionally, we presented the site as marking the beginning of monumentality in the region based on the results obtained from LiDAR flights. Carla Jaimes, Hortensia Nina, Daniela Velazco, and I delivered this presentation. Both symposia provided opportunities to exchange ideas and knowledge with researchers working on monumental sites, such as those in Ecuador and the Llanos de Moxos, including low-density urbanism in the Casarabe culture. In the case of early ceramics, certain similarities were observed in sites in Brazil, where the earliest ceramics were also found in shell middens.
For two days, we were invited to visit three archaeological rock art sites, which feature engravings dating back to the Ice Age. This enriching experience complemented the congress activities very well. Participating in the VI International Meeting for Amazonian Archaeology was not just a professional opportunity, but also a personal one. It was a chance to learn about the diverse work and research conducted in the region, and to create networks for exchange at various levels. The discussions we had were not just academic, but also a reflection of the shared passion we all have for the field. „
Ein Bericht von Geraldine Paloma Fernandez Selaez, Masterstundentin an der Abteilung für Altamerikanistik und Ethnologie an der Universität Bonn