Life and Death after Chavín: A Comparative Mortuary and Bioarchaeological Analysis of Salinar from the Perspective of José Olaya–La Iglesia (Huanchaco, Moche Valley)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Beyond Borders at the End of a Millennium: Life in the Western Andes circa 500–50 BCE" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

On the north coast of Perú, the collapse of the Chavín Sphere of Influence ca. 500/400 cal BC had a marked impact that brought about sociopolitical changes within the Moche Valley. For many years, archaeologists have investigated structural changes (e.g., settlement patterns and architectural shifts), violence, and altered subsistence patterns in the subsequent Salinar (ca. 400–50 cal BC). Here, I present data on a large mortuary (n = 112) and bioarchaeological (n = 84) analysis of a Salinar cemetery excavated at the José Olaya–La Iglesia site, Huanchaco (400–200 BC). Importantly, characterizing mortuary patterns and bioarchaeological of this coastal fishing community highlights notable intra- and intervalley similarities and differences with contemporary communities. I argue there are significant contributions to understanding life at the turn of the millennium in this region through the study of mortuary practices and bioarchaeological analyses that both support and challenge preexisting ideas of “Salinar.” * Human remains will be shown in this presentation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Beyond Borders at the End of a Millennium: Life in the Western Andes circa 500–50 BCE   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38982.0