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Dumbarton Oaks Pre-Columbian Symposia and Colloquia
El Niño, Catastrophism, and Culture Change in Ancient America
Daniel H. Sandweiss, Jeffrey Quilter

El Niño is an extreme climate perturbation that periodically changes weather throughout the globe, with often dire consequences. First recognized in Peru, El Niño events are best known and documented there. This book summarizes current research on the nature of El Niño events in the Americas and details specific historic and prehistoric patterns in Peru and elsewhere. Looking also at other catastrophic natural events in the ancient New World, the book illustrates how scientific archaeology can serve pure research as well as provide information for contemporary issues.