Overview
- A peer-reviewed PLOS One paper analyzes carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotopes in 35 archaeological maize cobs and 11 seabirds from contexts spanning 200 BCE to the Colonial era.
- Elevated maize δ15N values match guano manuring signatures known from Chile, while non-enriched δ34S points to environmental and cultural influences on sulfur signals.
- Radiocarbon and isotopic results date the use of marine-derived fertilizer to at least 1250 CE, well before Inca rule in the region.
- The authors argue that enhanced maize yields produced surpluses that supported the Chincha Kingdom’s economic complexity, maritime trade and eventual ties with the Inca Empire.
- Coverage notes harvests from the nearby Chincha Islands and highlights implications for understanding coastal Andean agriculture and for interpreting isotopic diet studies.