Description: The rich and diversified archaeological record recovered at Asana--which spans from 10,000 to 3,500 years ago--includes the earliest houses as well as public and ceremonial buildings in the central cordillera. Built, used, and abandoned over many millennia, the Asana structures completely transform our understanding of the antiquity and development of native American architecture. Aldenderfer's detailed archaeological case study of high elevation foraging adaptation, his description of this extreme environment as a viable human habitat, and his theoretical model of montane foraging create a new understanding of the lifeways of foraging peoples worldwide.
Review Quotes: "The specific archaeological record that Aldenderfer has recovered in his multiyear project is quite important. His primary site, Asana, is the most important open-air forager site to be investigated in the Andes. It has detailed stratigraphy and an excellent chronology well backed by dates. Aldenderfer makes a very valuable contribution to archaeology in this volume."--John W. Rick, Stanford University