Soil Chemical Analysis of Ancient Activities in Cerén, El Salvador
A Case Study of a Rapidly Abandoned Site
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4753909 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jade Parnell (0009-0001-1624-550X), J Jacob Parnell, Richard E Terry (0000-0002-8391-4689), Payson Sheets (0000-0001-6900-3355) |
| Year | 2002 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 331-342 |
| Publication date | 2002-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Latin American Antiquity (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1045-6635 • E-ISSN: 2325-5080 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/972114 |
| OpenAlex | W2321682469 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 28 |
| References cited | 36 |
Activities performed over long periods of time tend to leave soil chemical residues as evidence of those activities. Some of the questions studied in this paper deal with the interpretive capabilities provided by chemical patterns. Soil samples from Cerén, El Salvador, a well-preserved site, were analyzed for extractable phosphorus and heavy metals. We compared in situ artifacts collected from the site with chemical signatures that indicate activity areas. We found that elevated concentrations of phosphorus were associated with food preparation, consumption, and disposal. Heavy metals were associated with the interior of the structure where pigments and painted gourds were found. In this case, where well-preserved, in situ artifacts were available for analysis, we found that chemical analysis was effective in locating human activity areas. Our findings indicate that chemical analysis can be used to guide interpretation in areas of poor artifact preservation with reasonable accuracy, and in archaeological sites that underwent gradual abandonment
Abandonment (legal · Archaeology · Artifact (error · Biology · Geography · Phosphorus · Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Chemistry · Environmental Science · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Environmental Chemistry
Chemical Survey of Archaeological Sites
Chemical Survey of Archaeological Sites
Ancient Maya impacts on the Earth's surface
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The story in the floors
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Geochemical analysis of Late Classic and Post Classic Maya marketplace activities at the Plazas of Cobá, Mexico
Traces of daily life
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Combining residue analysis of floors and ceramics for the study of activity areas at the Garum Shop at Pompeii
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Quantitative phosphorus measurement
Chemical Analyses of Ancient Anthrosols in Residential Areas at Piedras Negras, Guatemala
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The Application of Phosphate Analysis to the Location and Interpretation of Archaeological Sites
Lukurmata
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The Study of Activities in Classic Households
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Households
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Volcanism, Ecology and Culture
Analisis Quimico de Pisos de Ocupacion
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Fleeting Identities
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| Unique citing works | 28 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,27 |
| Citation span | 2004 - 2026 (23) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 28 |