Getting to know Tybachas and Chutquas. Old age during the Early Muisca (200-1000 AD) of the prehispanic population of Nueva Esperanza, Soacha, Colombia

Abstract

In order to study the phenomenon of old age, this research carried out the osteobiographical characterization of the individuals who achieved greater longevity in a prehispanic population group that lived in the colombian eastern Andes during the Early Muisca (200-1000 AD). Methodologically, this research used a qualitative analysis based on the bioarcheology of the individual on four case studies. The funerary context, together with the macroscopic analysis of bone and dental stress indicators, as well as cultural indicators, was used to answer the questions posed by the osteobiographical model from a life course, life-history theory and biocultural approach. The results revealed a possible heterogeneity of funeral practices and injuries that were similar in the four cases, such as degenerative joint disease in moderate and severe degrees, as well as oral and dental conditions associated with caries, loss of antemortem teeth, periodontal disease and severe wear of the occlusal surface. This allowed us to infer that the conditions the analyzed individuals suffered from are related to the population’s way of subsistence and its senescence processes.