changed and pre-ceramic corn is accepted by a number of 
specialists (vide Lanning, 1967 and Moseley, 1975). 
The area of corn occurs through a coastal belt of approxi- 
mately 150 kms. which extends from the famous site of Las 
Haldas (in the vicinity of Casma) to Aspero (near Supe) (vide 
Moseley, p. 89). Most of this corn belongs to the Late Pre- 
ceramic that in terms of time means a period which extends 
from the year 2500 B.C. to the years 1800-1500 B.C. We think 
that in spite of existing doubts, the corn at Los Gavilanes is part 
of the same complex. New samples have been sent for new 
dating. At this time we have received two new datings, ob- 
tained on material excavated in the 1974 season, and which we 
believe form part of the same context to which plants exca- 
vated in 1960 belong. 
The first dating was made by the method of thermolumines- 
cence of burnt stones, at the Laboratoire de Cristallographie et 
de Physique Cristalline de la Faculté des Sciences of the Uni- 
versity of Bordeaux, France. The result obtained is 4800+ 500 
years BP(BOR 20). On the other hand, a sample of burnt wood 
from the same context was dated by the '*C method at the 
Laboratoire du Radiocarbone du Comisariat al‘ Energie Atom- 
ique et du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique de 
Gif-sur-Yvette, France. The date obtained is 3750+ 110 years 
BP (GIF 3564).' Also, in an indirect form, the results of the 
work of the Ayacucho Archaeological-Botanical Project, di- 
rected by Richard MacNeish (vide MacNeish, Nelken-Terner 
and Garcia Cook, 1970) in some respects provides a logical 
explanation to the problem. 
Though there are some questions, we believe that in the 
future these can be answered and that because of the dearth of 
botanical reports on the materials found at the pre-ceramic 
sites and because of the importance of the Huarmey corn, it Is 
desirable that we publish the result of our studies, pointing out 
again that they are only of a preliminary nature. 
Since this is a preliminary report, we have make no attempt 
to review the extensive literature that, in one way or another, 
'Thanks are due to Claude Chauchat and Daniele Lavallée, for their help in securing 
the collaboration of this institution, and to Georgette Delibrias and Max Schvoerer of 
the two laboratories respectively, who made the actual datings. 
22) 
