The Emergence of Bioarchaeology in Peru: Origins and Modern Approaches

Abstract

Peru has many unique ecological and historical features that make it particularly well suited for the study of human remains from various archaeological contexts. Perhaps its most distinctive feature is the extremely arid climate in the coastal regions and highlands, which preserves a wide range of organic materials, including human remains, textiles, faunal and floral materials. An analysis of human remains in Peru can therefore include not only standard osteological analyses, but also a variety of additional tests that increase our ability to interpret past human behaviour. Additionally, many Peruvian communities continue to live in a manner that resembles that of their Pre-Columbian ancestors. As such, there exists a wealth of ethnographic and ethnohistorical data that can be used to develop contextual frameworks for the interpretation of archaeological data. These features make the Andes an extremely important area in which to evaluate past models of biological identity and mobility, patterns of health and trauma, and population dynamics. Yet in examining the emergence of bioarchaeology in Peru, it is quite surprising to find that the study of skeletal collections from archaeological contexts is a relatively new academic discipline that began in the late 1970s. In this paper, we trace the development of such studies beginning with the research of the Peruvian Dr. Julio C. Tello and extending to current multidisciplinary approaches of ancient human remains by both Peruvian and non-Peruvian bioarchaeologists. In contrast to other countries, the excavation and study of human remains is still possible in Peru, as human remains figure less prominently in the construction of contemporaneous indigenous Peruvian identities.