Preparation of the dead in coastal Andean preceramic populations

Abstract

The preceramic Chinchorro Culture from coastal South America has the oldest known system of artificial mummification. The Chinchorros practiced artificial mummification from about 6,000 B.C. to 2,000 B.C. and they had a variety of mummification techniques which have been divided into Black, Red, Bandage, and Mud-Coated mummy categories. It appears the modern Chilean city of Arica was the cultural epicenter where the Chinchorro Cul- ture originated. It is hypothesized here that the Chinchorros devel- oped artificial mummification to assuage communal adversity caused by natural cataclysms since these phenomena are common to Arica and surrounding areas. The study of the complex Chin- chorro mortuary practices reveals that: 1) the treatment of the dead is a complex process that goes beyond socio-economic expla- nations, 2) specialization can also be related to religious ideology, not only to socio-economic needs, and 3) non-ranked societies with simple tool kits may have complex religious beliefs and ide- ology which cannot be inferred by the paucity of artifacts de- posited as grave goods.