Introduction -- Objective -- Aims of research -- Methods -- Approach -- Field methods -- Excavation -- Geoelectric prospection -- Geomagnetic prospection -- Survey -- Analyses -- Artifact analyses -- Radiocarbon analyses and dating -- Archaeobotany -- Faunal remains -- Physical Anthropology -- Strontium analysis -- The archaic period -- History of research -- Chronology -- The Archaic Period -- Economic developments in the Middle Archaic Period -- The Late Archaic Period -- Conclusion of the economic developments in the Archaic Period -- The Archaic Period in the working area in the Rio Grande basin -- Environment -- The landscape of Southern Peru -- The topography of the working area -- Current climatic conditions -- The current ecological zones in the working area -- Climatic conditions in the middle Holocene -- General Trends -- El Nino onset -- Interim conclusion of the climatic conditions in the central Andes -- Paleoclimate in the working region -- Tentative reconstruction of the paleolandscape of the working area -- The site of Pernil Alto -- Location -- History of research -- Excavation -- Units -- Progression of the excavations directed towards the Middle Archaic occupation -- Near-site Prospection -- Excavation Method and documentation -- Sampling -- Preservation conditions and erosion -- Classes of features -- Dating and Chronology -- Stratigraphy and Layers -- Harris diagram -- Problems in the generation of the Harris diagram -- Period separation of the Harris diagram -- Modelled rediocarbon chronology -- Rectification of the stratigraphy using the modelled radiocarbon dates -- Structures -- Burials -- Artifacts -- Lithic artifacts -- Lithic raw material -- Flakes and flake tools -- Cobbles and cobble tools -- Cores and core tools -- Bone artifacts -- Raw materials -- Braiding tools -- Pendants -- Spatulas -- Awl -- Spear thrower head -- Figurine -- Undetermined bone artifact -- Wooden artifacts -- Trimmed woods -- Pointed woods -- Split woods -- Scantlings -- Tied up woods -- Carved wood -- Jewelry -- Beads -- Pendants -- Braces and necklaces -- Feather decoration -- Raw material -- Cords -- Knotted textiles -- Looped textiles -- Plant fibers -- Twined textiles -- Other artifacts -- Bottle gourd epicarps and vessels -- Color remains -- Quartz fragments -- Headdress or coiffure -- Fur cap -- Spindle whorls -- Natural sediment remains -- Conclusion of the artifact spectrum -- Botanical remains -- Analyses of the macro-remains -- Food plant remains -- Cultivated plants -- Wild collected plants -- Industrial plants -- Pollen and phytolith remains from grinding tools -- Pollen remains from intra site samples -- Faunal remains -- Vertebrates remains -- Invertebrates remains -- Further results -- Caries ratios -- Strontium analyses -- Dwellings -- Artifacts as indicators for activities -- Procedure -- Data analysis -- Results -- Activities by phase -- Conclusion of the activity analyses -- Structure of the Middle Archaic settlements -- Activity areas in the settlement -- Settlement structure -- Settlement development -- The society of Pernil Alto -- Burial rites -- Social structure -- The burial practices of Pernil Alto in the context of the Archaic periods -- Economy -- Characterization of animal use -- Ratios of the food plant remains -- The subsistence of Pernil Alto -- Direct indicators for the diet at Pernil Alto -- Indirect indicators of the diet -- Indirect indicators of the economy from the site placement -- Indirect indicators of social type -- Cultivation at Pernil Alto -- Final characterization of the economy at Pernil Alto -- Mobility -- Indicators for mobility and sedentariness -- Mobility or sedentism at Pernil Alto? -- Indicators for sedentism -- Indicators for mobility -- Not assignable indicators -- Conclusion of the state of mobility or sedentism -- Connections between Pernil Alto and other environmental zones -- Comments on the settlement on the middle Rio Grande section during the Middle Archaic Period -- Summary and Conclusion -- Efficacy of the applied methods and procedures -- The Middle Archaic Settlement of Pernil Alto -- The economy of Pernil Alto -- Mobility at Pernil Alto -- The society of Pernil Alto -- The village of Pernil Alto -- Pernil Alto in the context of the Rio Grande basin -- The importance of the climate for the developments at Pernil Alto -- Possible explanation for the developments at Pernil Alto -- Pernil Alto in the perspective of the emergence of civilizations in the Central Andes -- Future research possibilities -- Kurzzusammenfassung -- Brief summary.