A Manteño Burial from Buen Suceso, Ecuador

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

When Spanish explorers arrived in South America, sea-faring Manteño peoples dominated much of the northern and central Ecuadorian coast. While Manteño sites and technologies are well-documented, particularly at large sites such as Cerro Jaboncillo, many questions about Manteño society and mortuary traditions remain, particularly concerning people who lived on the edges of Manteño influence. In this poster, we present mortuary and bioarchaeological analyses of a burial from Buen Suceso, a site on the central coast of Ecuador with a Manteño component. Dated between 1433 and 1460, this burial includes two primary burials of a young female individual and an older male individual adorned with copper, and two secondary burials of an infant and an adult individual who was likely de-fleshed after death. We suggest that aspects of this burial reflect the multiple cultural influences in the region, as many of the mortuary traits suggest southern Guancavilca practices in addition to Manteño practices. We also present bioarchaeological data that show evidence for disease and trauma during the lives of these individuals. Finally, we show the first evidence for de-fleshing as part of mortuary treatment amongst Manteño peoples.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32937