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BOUNDING MIDDLE PERIOD CEMETERY USE IN SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA, CHILE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2020

William J Pestle*
Affiliation:
University of Miami, Department of Anthropology, Coral Gables, FL, USA
Christina Torres-Rouff
Affiliation:
University of California Merced, Department of Anthropology and Heritage Studies, Merced, CA, USA Universidad Católica del Norte, Instituto de Arqueología y Antropología, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Gonzalo Pimentel
Affiliation:
Fundación Patrimonio Desierto de Atacama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
Mark Hubbe
Affiliation:
Universidad Católica del Norte, Instituto de Arqueología y Antropología, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile The Ohio State University, Department of Anthropology, Columbus, OH, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Email: w.pestle@miami.edu
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Abstract

The San Pedro de Atacama oases, located in northern Chile’s hyperarid Atacama Desert, have been occupied for at least 3000 years. Here, we examine cemetery use in the oases, with emphasis on the Middle Period (ca. AD 400–1000). By modeling of a large corpus (n=243) of radiocarbon dates, over 90% of which are direct AMS assays of human bone collagen, we attempt to establish a temporal framework by which to explore the establishment of formalized social inequality in this period. Modeling of these dates at three locally defined scales (all ayllus, inter-ayllu, and intra-ayllu) permit heretofore unavailable insights into the chronological and spatial dimensions of life and mortuary activity in the oases and allow us to better contextualize patterns of social inequality during the dynamic Middle Period. The results of this modeling indicate two distinct peaks of occupation during the Middle Period in San Pedro and document significant temporal variability in cemetery use patterns on both inter- and intra-ayllu scales. These results stress the importance of local social and environmental factors to the occupation of the oases and provide crucial chronological structure for future archaeological and bioarchaeological research in the region.

Information

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© 2020 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona
Figure 0

Figure 1 Map of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, with locations of ayllus and sites discussed in text noted.

Figure 1

Table 1 List of individuals included in present analysis, with provenience information, radiocarbon dates, and outlier designations.

Figure 2

Figure 2 Structure of all ayllu model.

Figure 3

Figure 3 Individual modeled start and end dates binned by century. Note dramatic increase in dates post-600 calAD.

Figure 4

Figure 4 Structure of inter-ayllu model.

Figure 5

Figure 5 Heat map of inter-ayllu dates by century.

Figure 6

Figure 6 Structure of intra-ayllu model for Coyo.

Figure 7

Figure 7 Structure of intra-ayllu model for Quitor.

Figure 8

Figure 8 Structure of intra-ayllu model for Solcor.

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