A Review of Archaeological and Paleoecological Radiocarbon Dating in Bolivia

Abstract

Radiocarbon dating is one of the most useful and widely used chronometric techniques available for archaeologists and other paleo-scientists. Although generally used for answering specific research questions, radiocarbon dates from archaeological sites have become increasingly used to reconstruct population change at meso and macro temporal and spatial scales, and Bayesian modeling of locally and regionally available dates is facilitating interrogating the synchronicity, correlation, and interaction among various socioecological variables. Because the results of these meta-analyses largely depend on the available data, comprehensive compilations of radiocarbon dates and their associated information are critically important. Moreover, a thorough assessment of these compilations can reveal research spatiotemporal foci, trends, and biases, which should be considered when meta-analyses are attempted. In this review, based on the recently compiled Bolivian Radiocarbon Database, I provide a general assessment of the temporal, geographic, and thematic interests that have driven archaeological and paleoecological research in Bolivia over the last seven decades. Along with a detailed review of research in three broad geographical regions (Andean highlands, inter-Andean valleys, and tropical lowlands), I encourage researchers interested in meta-analysis to critically consider biases in data compilations by means of increased engagement with local experts and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Fire-human-climate interactions in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest ecotone from the Last Glacial Maximum to late Holocene

“…The absence of archaeological sites in NKMNP, and the broader region of eastern Santa Cruz, the largest department in Bolivia, is attributed to the lack of systematic archaeological research in the region (Capriles, 2023). To the eastern edge of the park, across the Brazilian boarder, there are over 50 archaeological sites documented <50 km from the KNMNP (Figure 1).…”

“…We implement a multi-proxy approach utilizing geochemistry, δ 13 C and δ 15 N stable isotopes, and macrocharcoal (>125 µm) analysis from a new ∼24,000-year-old sediment core (Cuatro Vientos) that exceeds the earliest evidence of human activity in the region by > ∼13,500 years. These data are compared with two existing palaeovegetation studies of Laguna Chaplin and Huanchaca Mesetta palm swamp in Mayle et al (2000), Burbridge et al (2004), and Maezumi et al (2015Maezumi et al ( , 2018b, along with regional palaeoclimate (Baker et al, 2001;Whitney et al, 2011) and regional archaeological data (Maezumi et al, 2018b;Capriles et al, 2019;Lombardo et al, 2020;Capriles, 2023;Peripato et al, 2023) (Supplementary Table S4).…”