THE EL PALTO PHASE OF NORTHERN PERU: CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE LATE PLEISTOCENE-EARLY HOLOCENE

On Peru's North Coast, the earliest documented lithic traditions are collectively known as the El Palto Phase (similar to 14,200-9,600 cal BP). This phase, which spans the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene, contains evidence for several contemporary or overlapping traditions, including early unifacial assemblages, and the Fishtail and Paijan complexes. Recent study of El Palto phase sites in the lower Jequetepeque Valley focused on evaluating the relationships between these assemblages and the populations who manufactured them. The results from several long-term regional studies are considered with these analyses to provide a new synthesis regarding early settlement patterns and technological change in this region of the Central Andes.