Elsa Tomasto Cagigao | Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (original) (raw)
Papers by Elsa Tomasto Cagigao
Boletín de Arqueología PUCP, 2017
a inicios del siglo XX, fueron las modificaciones craneales. Desde entonces hasta la fecha, se ha... more a inicios del siglo XX, fueron las modificaciones craneales. Desde entonces hasta la fecha, se han realizado numerosas descripciones y clasificaciones, y se han propuesto diversas hipótesis referentes a las razones que estarían detrás de esta práctica cultural: estatus, género, origen, etnicidad, etc., elementos todos de la identidad. Sin embargo, todavía no se ha podido validar ninguna de estas hipótesis, porque no existe ningún estudio sistemático que haya clasificado las formas craneales y las haya relacionado con las características de los contextos de procedencia. En el marco del creciente interés por
Andean Ontologies, 2019
The body is an analytical category that has been very little problematized, and even less theoriz... more The body is an analytical category that has been very little problematized, and even less theorized, in archaeology. This limitation is particularly notorious in Andean archaeology. This chapter resonates with the current discussion of the ontological turn in the discipline and discusses how this paradigm offers new theoretical tools for an alternative understanding of the human body, its boundaries, and the various ways in which it manifests in the natural and social world. By using Viveiros de Castro´s Amerindian Perspectivism, this chapter re-evaluates the archaeological data from the Late Moche (AD 650–850) cemetery of San José de Moro, in northern Peru, and, thus, characterizes a Moche corporeal ontology, under which the body is conceptualized as an ever-changing entity with relational characteristics and transubstantiation properties. This conceptualization echoes the Andean notion of sami or vital essence, which transfigures, transmutes, and exerts significant influences on t...
Ritual Violence in the Ancient Andes, 2016
Cell, 2020
Highlights d Ancient DNA transect reveals north-south substructure of Andean highlands by 5,800 B... more Highlights d Ancient DNA transect reveals north-south substructure of Andean highlands by 5,800 BP d After 5,800 BP, gene flow mixed highland people with their neighbors d After 2,000 BP, striking genetic continuity through rise and fall of major cultures
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
The Late Preceramic Period (3000-1700 BCE) and Initial Period (1700-800 BCE) in Peru was a time o... more The Late Preceramic Period (3000-1700 BCE) and Initial Period (1700-800 BCE) in Peru was a time of emergent social complexity as illustrated by the construction of ceremonial architecture and permanent settlements. A long-standing debate centers on the nature of the subsistence economies that supported this incipient complexity. Though some scholars consider maize to have been an agricultural staple at this time, a growing body of archaeological research indicates that the use of maize spread irregularly throughout Peru and did not become a dietary staple until sometime after c. 800 cal BCE. Using stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) of human bone and dentine, together with radiocarbon dating, this study estimates dietary composition, as well as changing subsistence strategies among 32 individuals interred within the ceremonial center of La Galgada (2300-1300 cal BCE). Our data suggests that maize was not a dietary staple in either the Late Preceramic or the Initial (1700-800 cal BCE) Period occupations at La Galgada. Instead the modeled diet (SIAR Mixing Model) suggests a continued reliance on locally available food sources (i.e. primarily C 3 , legumes and grazing fauna). This finding combined with archaeological evidence indicates that diet remained relatively similar during the site's occupation. Three radiocarbon dates generated for this study also indicate the re-use of La Galgada as a cemetery during the Late Intermediate Period (LIP) (1150-1450 cal CE). Diet during the LIP exhibits a significant change, with a decrease in the proportion of C 3 and legumes and an increase in the proportion of meat. This study highlights the utility of mixing models to reconstruct past human diet, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of potential differences in the proportions of food types over time.
Boletín de Arqueología PUCP, 2019
International Journal of Paleopathology, 2019
Because of a rich cultural history and excellent preservation of archaeological materials the sou... more Because of a rich cultural history and excellent preservation of archaeological materials the south coast of the Central Andes is a region where many anthropological questions can be explored, using the latest methods and techniques. Over the last 20 years, multidisciplinary paleopathological studies have revealed interesting and unanticipated perspectives regarding the lives and cultures of the peoples who inhabited this region in pre-Hispanic times. This paper presents a panorama of these recent investigations, beginning with a review of the data sourcesthe collections of human remainsavailable for study, their numbers, preservation, accessibility, strengths and weaknesses. Then follows a revision of recent investigations, presenting new knowledge about temporal trends in human health in the region, including mortality curves, stature achieved in adulthood, porotic hyperososis, cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasias, dental caries, biochemical analysis, trauma, and violence. This review shows how the knowledge of the history of this region has increased but also the many new questions that have emerged. Hopefully this paper will encourage more investigation, as the collections of human remains from this region are abundant, well documented and well preserved.
Science advances, 2016
The exact timing, route, and process of the initial peopling of the Americas remains uncertain de... more The exact timing, route, and process of the initial peopling of the Americas remains uncertain despite much research. Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of humans as far as southern Chile by 14.6 thousand years ago (ka), shortly after the Pleistocene ice sheets blocking access from eastern Beringia began to retreat. Genetic estimates of the timing and route of entry have been constrained by the lack of suitable calibration points and low genetic diversity of Native Americans. We sequenced 92 whole mitochondrial genomes from pre-Columbian South American skeletons dating from 8.6 to 0.5 ka, allowing a detailed, temporally calibrated reconstruction of the peopling of the Americas in a Bayesian coalescent analysis. The data suggest that a small population entered the Americas via a coastal route around 16.0 ka, following previous isolation in eastern Beringia for ~2.4 to 9 thousand years after separation from eastern Siberian populations. Following a rapid movement throughou...
"In this investigation we explore the relati... more "In this investigation we explore the relationship between the dental health and the archaeological and paleoenvironmental changes identified in the northern area of the Rio Grande of Nasca drainage, between the years 3500 BC and AD 1000. The frequencies of caries and dental wear of 145 skeletons whose provenience is the Palpa valleys were analysed. These skeletons belong to four subsequent periods: the Archaic period (ca. 3500 BC), the Paracas culture in the Early Horizon (800 – 200 BC), the Nasca culture in the Early Intermediate Period (AD 80 – 650) and the Wari influence period in the Middle Horizon (AD 650-1000). Each skeleton was recorded for caries, attrition, sex, age and pathology. The caries frequencies were recorded and analysed with a method adapted from Hillson (1996, 2001), while attrition was measured with the scales of Smith (1984) and Hillson (2001). The results indicate that during the Archaic period there was a mixed diet, combining tough and fibrous foods with cultivated and processed foods, with higher percentages of this last kind of foods than the expected. Regarding Paracas, Nasca and the Wari influence period, there is an increasing tendency throughout the time, both in the caries frequencies and the occlusal attrition levels, showing the highest peaks in the Middle Horizon. The causes of this could be the introduction of some cultural practice producing higher levels of attrition between Paracas and Nasca and the increase of consumption of cariogenic foods in the Middle Horizon. In Nasca times there are also differences in the oral health that can be correlated to status. Finally, this study demonstrates the importance of recording and computing independently the initial sites of caries as well as initial caries and cavities."
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2015
The caves near Lake Lauricocha, Peru, were excavated between the late 1950s and mid-1960s and hav... more The caves near Lake Lauricocha, Peru, were excavated between the late 1950s and mid-1960s and have since influenced the interpretation of early man in South America. Prior to the publication of this paper, the data used to interpret the age of this material was not based upon the human skeletons themselves, but were rather produced from the accompanying material, such as sediment, plant remains and animal bone. Radiocarbon dating in the 1960s was often not applied to human bones, as pre-treatment methods at that time were not as refined as at present and with conventional techniques, quite a lot of material had to be used. The development of AMS techniques requires much less material for analysis and sample preparation through collagen extraction means that radiocarbon dating of human bones is now possible and is a reliable method. As part of a wider project to analyse the DNA of the Lauricocha skeletons in order to elucidate migration patterns in Peru, we sampled 4 of the 11 skeletons for radiocarbon dating. This paper reports the results of this dating analysis. The results indicate that the skeletons are younger than interpreted from previously determined radiocarbon data on different material. However, this does not mean that the older analyses are wrong, and we review our findings in the light of this previous work to produce a new chronology for the site.
PloS one, 2015
The discovery of human remains from the Lauricocha cave in the Central Andean highlands in the 19... more The discovery of human remains from the Lauricocha cave in the Central Andean highlands in the 1960's provided the first direct evidence for human presence in the high altitude Andes. The skeletons found at this site were ascribed to the Early to Middle Holocene and represented the oldest known population of Western South America, and thus were used in several studies addressing the early population history of the continent. However, later excavations at Lauricocha led to doubts regarding the antiquity of the site. Here, we provide new dating, craniometric, and genetic evidence for this iconic site. We obtained new radiocarbon dates, generated complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear SNP data from five individuals, and re-analyzed the human remains of Lauricocha to revise the initial morphological and craniometric analysis conducted in the 1960's. We show that Lauricocha was indeed occupied in the Early to Middle Holocene but the temporal spread of dates we obtained from t...
PloS one, 2015
The discovery of human remains from the Lauricocha cave in the Central Andean highlands in the 19... more The discovery of human remains from the Lauricocha cave in the Central Andean highlands in the 1960's provided the first direct evidence for human presence in the high altitude Andes. The skeletons found at this site were ascribed to the Early to Middle Holocene and represented the oldest known population of Western South America, and thus were used in several studies addressing the early population history of the continent. However, later excavations at Lauricocha led to doubts regarding the antiquity of the site. Here, we provide new dating, craniometric, and genetic evidence for this iconic site. We obtained new radiocarbon dates, generated complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear SNP data from five individuals, and re-analyzed the human remains of Lauricocha to revise the initial morphological and craniometric analysis conducted in the 1960's. We show that Lauricocha was indeed occupied in the Early to Middle Holocene but the temporal spread of dates we obtained from t...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014
Several archaeological studies in the Central Andes have pointed at the temporal coincidence of c... more Several archaeological studies in the Central Andes have pointed at the temporal coincidence of climatic fluctuations (both long- and short-term) and episodes of cultural transition and changes of socioeconomic structures throughout the pre-Columbian period. Although most scholars explain the connection between environmental and cultural changes by the impact of climatic alterations on the capacities of the ecosystems inhabited by pre-Columbian cultures, direct evidence for assumed demographic consequences is missing so far. In this study, we address directly the impact of climatic changes on the spatial population dynamics of the Central Andes. We use a large dataset of pre-Columbian mitochondrial DNA sequences from the northern Rio Grande de Nasca drainage (RGND) in southern Peru, dating from ∼840 BC to 1450 AD. Alternative demographic scenarios are tested using Bayesian serial coalescent simulations in an approximate Bayesian computational framework. Our results indicate migratio...
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2015
Abstract Despite being one of the most famous archaeological cemeteries in Peru, many questions r... more Abstract Despite being one of the most famous archaeological cemeteries in Peru, many questions remain about the people who were buried at the Paracas Necropolis of Wari Kayan, which was first excavated by Julio C. Tello in 1925. Here, we use bioarchaeology and biogeochemistry to elucidate the lives of individuals buried at Wari Kayan. More specifically, we present 90 new δ 13 C keratin and δ 15 N keratin values from 14 individuals buried at Wari Kayan and two artifacts made of human hair (mean δ 13 C keratin (VPDB) = −15.3 ± 0.9‰ (1σ, n = 90) and mean δ 15 N keratin (AIR) = +15.5 ± 1.2‰ (1σ, n = 90)). We interpret these light stable isotope data from archaeological human hair samples from the Paracas Necropolis of Wari Kayan as evidence for a mixed diet of C 4 and C 3 foods as dietary carbon sources and marine products as dietary nitrogen sources. Sequential hair samples from the same individuals do not exhibit large isotopic differences in hair that formed at different times before death. In addition to elucidating paleodiet at this important site, we interpret sequential isotopic hair data as evidence of a population whose diet was predominately coastal in the last weeks or months of life, either remaining on the coast or consuming coastal products in the highlands. These data elucidate paleodiet as well as the utility of applying newer isotopic methods to archaeological human remains from older museum collections to gain a better understanding of the past.
Natural Science in Archaeology
Bioarchaeology, the scientific discipline that studies past societies through human remains, has ... more Bioarchaeology, the scientific discipline that studies past societies through human remains, has had an uneven development in Peru. One of the zones of lesser development has been the south coast, probably due to the lack of scientifically recovered collections accessible to investigators. Most studies centre on the skull: cranial deformations, trephinations, and trophy heads, but little is known about the biological characteristics and levels of adaptation of the prehistoric human populations that inhabited the area. In this work we present the results of the osteological analysis of 198 individuals recovered from funerary contexts excavated by the Nasca-Palpa Archaeological Project. The levels of adaptation of Archaic, Paracas, Nasca, and Middle Horizon populations are evaluated through demography, comparative statures, spongiosclerosis, and trauma analysis. The tendencies found suggest that the best levels were achieved during the Archaic, and the worst in Paracas. Other important findings include a differential distribution of trauma among women and men in Paracas and Nasca times, suggesting gendered activities. Finally, there is a rising through time of trauma attributable to interpersonal violence, reaching the highest point in Nasca, when also two cases of possible child abuse are identified
Boletín de Arqueología PUCP, 2017
a inicios del siglo XX, fueron las modificaciones craneales. Desde entonces hasta la fecha, se ha... more a inicios del siglo XX, fueron las modificaciones craneales. Desde entonces hasta la fecha, se han realizado numerosas descripciones y clasificaciones, y se han propuesto diversas hipótesis referentes a las razones que estarían detrás de esta práctica cultural: estatus, género, origen, etnicidad, etc., elementos todos de la identidad. Sin embargo, todavía no se ha podido validar ninguna de estas hipótesis, porque no existe ningún estudio sistemático que haya clasificado las formas craneales y las haya relacionado con las características de los contextos de procedencia. En el marco del creciente interés por
Andean Ontologies, 2019
The body is an analytical category that has been very little problematized, and even less theoriz... more The body is an analytical category that has been very little problematized, and even less theorized, in archaeology. This limitation is particularly notorious in Andean archaeology. This chapter resonates with the current discussion of the ontological turn in the discipline and discusses how this paradigm offers new theoretical tools for an alternative understanding of the human body, its boundaries, and the various ways in which it manifests in the natural and social world. By using Viveiros de Castro´s Amerindian Perspectivism, this chapter re-evaluates the archaeological data from the Late Moche (AD 650–850) cemetery of San José de Moro, in northern Peru, and, thus, characterizes a Moche corporeal ontology, under which the body is conceptualized as an ever-changing entity with relational characteristics and transubstantiation properties. This conceptualization echoes the Andean notion of sami or vital essence, which transfigures, transmutes, and exerts significant influences on t...
Ritual Violence in the Ancient Andes, 2016
Cell, 2020
Highlights d Ancient DNA transect reveals north-south substructure of Andean highlands by 5,800 B... more Highlights d Ancient DNA transect reveals north-south substructure of Andean highlands by 5,800 BP d After 5,800 BP, gene flow mixed highland people with their neighbors d After 2,000 BP, striking genetic continuity through rise and fall of major cultures
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
The Late Preceramic Period (3000-1700 BCE) and Initial Period (1700-800 BCE) in Peru was a time o... more The Late Preceramic Period (3000-1700 BCE) and Initial Period (1700-800 BCE) in Peru was a time of emergent social complexity as illustrated by the construction of ceremonial architecture and permanent settlements. A long-standing debate centers on the nature of the subsistence economies that supported this incipient complexity. Though some scholars consider maize to have been an agricultural staple at this time, a growing body of archaeological research indicates that the use of maize spread irregularly throughout Peru and did not become a dietary staple until sometime after c. 800 cal BCE. Using stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) of human bone and dentine, together with radiocarbon dating, this study estimates dietary composition, as well as changing subsistence strategies among 32 individuals interred within the ceremonial center of La Galgada (2300-1300 cal BCE). Our data suggests that maize was not a dietary staple in either the Late Preceramic or the Initial (1700-800 cal BCE) Period occupations at La Galgada. Instead the modeled diet (SIAR Mixing Model) suggests a continued reliance on locally available food sources (i.e. primarily C 3 , legumes and grazing fauna). This finding combined with archaeological evidence indicates that diet remained relatively similar during the site's occupation. Three radiocarbon dates generated for this study also indicate the re-use of La Galgada as a cemetery during the Late Intermediate Period (LIP) (1150-1450 cal CE). Diet during the LIP exhibits a significant change, with a decrease in the proportion of C 3 and legumes and an increase in the proportion of meat. This study highlights the utility of mixing models to reconstruct past human diet, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of potential differences in the proportions of food types over time.
Boletín de Arqueología PUCP, 2019
International Journal of Paleopathology, 2019
Because of a rich cultural history and excellent preservation of archaeological materials the sou... more Because of a rich cultural history and excellent preservation of archaeological materials the south coast of the Central Andes is a region where many anthropological questions can be explored, using the latest methods and techniques. Over the last 20 years, multidisciplinary paleopathological studies have revealed interesting and unanticipated perspectives regarding the lives and cultures of the peoples who inhabited this region in pre-Hispanic times. This paper presents a panorama of these recent investigations, beginning with a review of the data sourcesthe collections of human remainsavailable for study, their numbers, preservation, accessibility, strengths and weaknesses. Then follows a revision of recent investigations, presenting new knowledge about temporal trends in human health in the region, including mortality curves, stature achieved in adulthood, porotic hyperososis, cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasias, dental caries, biochemical analysis, trauma, and violence. This review shows how the knowledge of the history of this region has increased but also the many new questions that have emerged. Hopefully this paper will encourage more investigation, as the collections of human remains from this region are abundant, well documented and well preserved.
Science advances, 2016
The exact timing, route, and process of the initial peopling of the Americas remains uncertain de... more The exact timing, route, and process of the initial peopling of the Americas remains uncertain despite much research. Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of humans as far as southern Chile by 14.6 thousand years ago (ka), shortly after the Pleistocene ice sheets blocking access from eastern Beringia began to retreat. Genetic estimates of the timing and route of entry have been constrained by the lack of suitable calibration points and low genetic diversity of Native Americans. We sequenced 92 whole mitochondrial genomes from pre-Columbian South American skeletons dating from 8.6 to 0.5 ka, allowing a detailed, temporally calibrated reconstruction of the peopling of the Americas in a Bayesian coalescent analysis. The data suggest that a small population entered the Americas via a coastal route around 16.0 ka, following previous isolation in eastern Beringia for ~2.4 to 9 thousand years after separation from eastern Siberian populations. Following a rapid movement throughou...
"In this investigation we explore the relati... more "In this investigation we explore the relationship between the dental health and the archaeological and paleoenvironmental changes identified in the northern area of the Rio Grande of Nasca drainage, between the years 3500 BC and AD 1000. The frequencies of caries and dental wear of 145 skeletons whose provenience is the Palpa valleys were analysed. These skeletons belong to four subsequent periods: the Archaic period (ca. 3500 BC), the Paracas culture in the Early Horizon (800 – 200 BC), the Nasca culture in the Early Intermediate Period (AD 80 – 650) and the Wari influence period in the Middle Horizon (AD 650-1000). Each skeleton was recorded for caries, attrition, sex, age and pathology. The caries frequencies were recorded and analysed with a method adapted from Hillson (1996, 2001), while attrition was measured with the scales of Smith (1984) and Hillson (2001). The results indicate that during the Archaic period there was a mixed diet, combining tough and fibrous foods with cultivated and processed foods, with higher percentages of this last kind of foods than the expected. Regarding Paracas, Nasca and the Wari influence period, there is an increasing tendency throughout the time, both in the caries frequencies and the occlusal attrition levels, showing the highest peaks in the Middle Horizon. The causes of this could be the introduction of some cultural practice producing higher levels of attrition between Paracas and Nasca and the increase of consumption of cariogenic foods in the Middle Horizon. In Nasca times there are also differences in the oral health that can be correlated to status. Finally, this study demonstrates the importance of recording and computing independently the initial sites of caries as well as initial caries and cavities."
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2015
The caves near Lake Lauricocha, Peru, were excavated between the late 1950s and mid-1960s and hav... more The caves near Lake Lauricocha, Peru, were excavated between the late 1950s and mid-1960s and have since influenced the interpretation of early man in South America. Prior to the publication of this paper, the data used to interpret the age of this material was not based upon the human skeletons themselves, but were rather produced from the accompanying material, such as sediment, plant remains and animal bone. Radiocarbon dating in the 1960s was often not applied to human bones, as pre-treatment methods at that time were not as refined as at present and with conventional techniques, quite a lot of material had to be used. The development of AMS techniques requires much less material for analysis and sample preparation through collagen extraction means that radiocarbon dating of human bones is now possible and is a reliable method. As part of a wider project to analyse the DNA of the Lauricocha skeletons in order to elucidate migration patterns in Peru, we sampled 4 of the 11 skeletons for radiocarbon dating. This paper reports the results of this dating analysis. The results indicate that the skeletons are younger than interpreted from previously determined radiocarbon data on different material. However, this does not mean that the older analyses are wrong, and we review our findings in the light of this previous work to produce a new chronology for the site.
PloS one, 2015
The discovery of human remains from the Lauricocha cave in the Central Andean highlands in the 19... more The discovery of human remains from the Lauricocha cave in the Central Andean highlands in the 1960's provided the first direct evidence for human presence in the high altitude Andes. The skeletons found at this site were ascribed to the Early to Middle Holocene and represented the oldest known population of Western South America, and thus were used in several studies addressing the early population history of the continent. However, later excavations at Lauricocha led to doubts regarding the antiquity of the site. Here, we provide new dating, craniometric, and genetic evidence for this iconic site. We obtained new radiocarbon dates, generated complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear SNP data from five individuals, and re-analyzed the human remains of Lauricocha to revise the initial morphological and craniometric analysis conducted in the 1960's. We show that Lauricocha was indeed occupied in the Early to Middle Holocene but the temporal spread of dates we obtained from t...
PloS one, 2015
The discovery of human remains from the Lauricocha cave in the Central Andean highlands in the 19... more The discovery of human remains from the Lauricocha cave in the Central Andean highlands in the 1960's provided the first direct evidence for human presence in the high altitude Andes. The skeletons found at this site were ascribed to the Early to Middle Holocene and represented the oldest known population of Western South America, and thus were used in several studies addressing the early population history of the continent. However, later excavations at Lauricocha led to doubts regarding the antiquity of the site. Here, we provide new dating, craniometric, and genetic evidence for this iconic site. We obtained new radiocarbon dates, generated complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear SNP data from five individuals, and re-analyzed the human remains of Lauricocha to revise the initial morphological and craniometric analysis conducted in the 1960's. We show that Lauricocha was indeed occupied in the Early to Middle Holocene but the temporal spread of dates we obtained from t...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014
Several archaeological studies in the Central Andes have pointed at the temporal coincidence of c... more Several archaeological studies in the Central Andes have pointed at the temporal coincidence of climatic fluctuations (both long- and short-term) and episodes of cultural transition and changes of socioeconomic structures throughout the pre-Columbian period. Although most scholars explain the connection between environmental and cultural changes by the impact of climatic alterations on the capacities of the ecosystems inhabited by pre-Columbian cultures, direct evidence for assumed demographic consequences is missing so far. In this study, we address directly the impact of climatic changes on the spatial population dynamics of the Central Andes. We use a large dataset of pre-Columbian mitochondrial DNA sequences from the northern Rio Grande de Nasca drainage (RGND) in southern Peru, dating from ∼840 BC to 1450 AD. Alternative demographic scenarios are tested using Bayesian serial coalescent simulations in an approximate Bayesian computational framework. Our results indicate migratio...
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2015
Abstract Despite being one of the most famous archaeological cemeteries in Peru, many questions r... more Abstract Despite being one of the most famous archaeological cemeteries in Peru, many questions remain about the people who were buried at the Paracas Necropolis of Wari Kayan, which was first excavated by Julio C. Tello in 1925. Here, we use bioarchaeology and biogeochemistry to elucidate the lives of individuals buried at Wari Kayan. More specifically, we present 90 new δ 13 C keratin and δ 15 N keratin values from 14 individuals buried at Wari Kayan and two artifacts made of human hair (mean δ 13 C keratin (VPDB) = −15.3 ± 0.9‰ (1σ, n = 90) and mean δ 15 N keratin (AIR) = +15.5 ± 1.2‰ (1σ, n = 90)). We interpret these light stable isotope data from archaeological human hair samples from the Paracas Necropolis of Wari Kayan as evidence for a mixed diet of C 4 and C 3 foods as dietary carbon sources and marine products as dietary nitrogen sources. Sequential hair samples from the same individuals do not exhibit large isotopic differences in hair that formed at different times before death. In addition to elucidating paleodiet at this important site, we interpret sequential isotopic hair data as evidence of a population whose diet was predominately coastal in the last weeks or months of life, either remaining on the coast or consuming coastal products in the highlands. These data elucidate paleodiet as well as the utility of applying newer isotopic methods to archaeological human remains from older museum collections to gain a better understanding of the past.
Natural Science in Archaeology
Bioarchaeology, the scientific discipline that studies past societies through human remains, has ... more Bioarchaeology, the scientific discipline that studies past societies through human remains, has had an uneven development in Peru. One of the zones of lesser development has been the south coast, probably due to the lack of scientifically recovered collections accessible to investigators. Most studies centre on the skull: cranial deformations, trephinations, and trophy heads, but little is known about the biological characteristics and levels of adaptation of the prehistoric human populations that inhabited the area. In this work we present the results of the osteological analysis of 198 individuals recovered from funerary contexts excavated by the Nasca-Palpa Archaeological Project. The levels of adaptation of Archaic, Paracas, Nasca, and Middle Horizon populations are evaluated through demography, comparative statures, spongiosclerosis, and trauma analysis. The tendencies found suggest that the best levels were achieved during the Archaic, and the worst in Paracas. Other important findings include a differential distribution of trauma among women and men in Paracas and Nasca times, suggesting gendered activities. Finally, there is a rising through time of trauma attributable to interpersonal violence, reaching the highest point in Nasca, when also two cases of possible child abuse are identified