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Ancient Human Remains from Central Peru

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Diane E. Beynon  and
Michael I. Siegel
Diane E. Beynon
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Michael I. Siegel
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
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Abstract

Within the past 10 to 15 years human remains of great antiquity have been found in archaeological sites located in the highlands and coastal area of central Peru. The remains in this study have assigned radiocarbon dates of 6000-10,000 B.P. and consist of four naturally mummified (desiccated) human bodies and four virtually complete skeletons. They represent some of the oldest skeletal remains and certainly the oldest preserved bodies hitherto found in South America. While the paleopathological and tomographic analyses of the bodies is presently in progress, this report describes the archaeological context of the entire sample and presents a descriptive analysis of the skeletal material. Age, sex, stature, and general pathology are discussed.

Type
Reports
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 46 , Issue 1 , January 1981 , pp. 167 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1981

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