Where Are the “Interesting” Skulls? The Practice and Taphonomy of Modern Interaction with Human Remains in Open Tombs

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Beyond the Ancestors: New Approaches to Andean "Open Sepulchers"" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Modern interaction with ancient human remains is near-ubiquitous in aboveground open-air tombs, used in the Andes during the late prehispanic period (ca. 1000–1532 CE). These spaces are host to a range of activities, from looting and sale of artifacts by professional huaqueros to exploration by local history enthusiasts. While—or perhaps because—all of these practices disturb the primary archaeological context, I argue that modern rearrangement and removal of artifacts and human remains are forms of mortuary practice that should be studied by archaeologists. Specifically, this paper uses a case study from recent fieldwork to investigate the practice of rearranging isolated crania in machay (cave) tombs in southern Ayacucho, Peru. I hypothesize that, rather than a random sample of crania from the tomb, these represent a collection that “looters” have curated and arranged to be viewed by future visitors. As such, the crania displayed in prominent locations, such as the mouths of caves, will feature higher rates of cranial vault modification, fractures, and other features that are visually apparent and/or evocative to laypersons. This study carries implications for surveys and surface collections at open sepulchers and argues that certain forms of what is typically termed “looting” constitute thoughtful engagement with cultural heritage.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Beyond the Ancestors: New Approaches to Andean "Open Sepulchers"   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38516.0