Understanding Vertebral Anomalies and Growth Patterns During the Late Intermediate Period (AD 1000–1470) in the Huanchaco Bay Area, Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The mass sacrifice of Chimú children in the Moche Valley has become the largest event in the world. Two mass occurrences were discovered at the sites of Huanchaquito Las Llamas (HLL) and Pampa la Cruz (PLC). At PLC the sacrificial events date to the Late Intermediate period (AD 1000–1470). This research explores birth defects of the lumbosacral spine that affected one in every 10 of the 121 Chimú individuals analyzed at PLC. In addition, we explore whether these are correlated with growth disruptions. The main objective of this presentation is to contribute to the literature of relatedness and birth anomalies in the Andes. We analyzed the vertebral column to understand whether sacralization or lumbarization were present among each individual. The fusion patterns of epiphyses and long bone measurements were observed and compared to dental eruption age to understand whether there were growth disruptions among the sacrificed individuals that present defects to their lumbosacral spine. Overall, this research is important in helping us understand the heterogeneous groups of individuals drawn from multiple regions that were chosen for sacrifice in the Huanchaco Bay area.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37498.0