The San Pedro de Atacama oases have been permanently occupied since ca. 2500 B.P. and over this t... more The San Pedro de Atacama oases have been permanently occupied since ca. 2500 B.P. and over this time developed a rich culture that was intertwined with social developments in the south-central Andes. However, despite decades of archaeological research, the region still lacks a strong chronological framework based on absolute dates. Here we present 53 new AMS 14C dates from osteological remains from San Pedro de Atacama, in order to contribute to an understanding of the Atacameño cultural sequence. These dates suggest that some cemeteries were occupied for long periods, frequently transcending cultural phases, and that in fact a number of cemeteries within the same ayllu were in use concurrently. We also show that, not surprisingly, population displacement through time primarily follows oscillations in the sources of water. The new information presented here suggests that future work in the region should emphasize detailed analyses that consider intra-ayllu variability, given that di...
Camelid pastoralism, agriculture, sedentism, surplus production, increasing cultural complexity, ... more Camelid pastoralism, agriculture, sedentism, surplus production, increasing cultural complexity, and interregional interaction during northern Chile's Late Formative period (AD 100–400) are seen in the flow of goods and people over expanses of desert. Consolidating evidence of material culture from these interactions with a bioarchaeological dimension allows us to provide details about individual lives and patterns in the Late Formative more generally. Here, we integrate a variety of skeletal, chemical, and archaeological data to explore the life and death of a small child (Calate-3N.7). By taking a multiscalar approach, we present a narrative that considers not only the varied materiality that accompanies this child but also what the child's life experience was and how this reflects and shapes our understanding of the Late Formative period in northern Chile. This evidence hints at the profound mobility of their youth. The complex mortuary context reflects numerous interacti...
Camelid pastoralism, agriculture, sedentism, surplus production, increasing cultural complexity, ... more Camelid pastoralism, agriculture, sedentism, surplus production, increasing cultural complexity, and interregional interaction during northern Chile's Late Formative period (AD 100-400) are seen in the flow of goods and people over expanses of desert. Consolidating evidence of material culture from these interactions with a bioarchaeological dimension allows us to provide details about individual lives and patterns in the Late Formative more generally. Here, we integrate a variety of skeletal, chemical, and archaeological data to explore the life and death of a small child (Calate-3N.7). By taking a multiscalar approach, we present a narrative that considers not only the varied materiality that accompanies this child but also what the child's life experience was and how this reflects and shapes our understanding of the Late Formative period in northern Chile. This evidence hints at the profound mobility of their youth. The complex mortuary context reflects numerous interactions and long-distance relationships. Ultimately, the evidence speaks to deep social relations between two coastal groups, the Atacameños and Tarapaqueños. Considering this suite of data, we can see a child whose life was spent moving through desert routes and perhaps also glimpse the construction of intercultural identity in the Formative period.
Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; the... more Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; therefore, we enable the publication of all of the content of peer review and author responses alongside final, published articles. The editorial history of this article is available here:
ABSTRACTThe San Pedro de Atacama oases, located in northern Chile’s hyperarid Atacama Desert, hav... more ABSTRACTThe San Pedro de Atacama oases, located in northern Chile’s hyperarid Atacama Desert, have been occupied for at least 3000 years. Here, we examine cemetery use in the oases, with emphasis on the Middle Period (ca. AD 400–1000). By modeling of a large corpus (n=243) of radiocarbon dates, over 90% of which are direct AMS assays of human bone collagen, we attempt to establish a temporal framework by which to explore the establishment of formalized social inequality in this period. Modeling of these dates at three locally defined scales (all ayllus, inter-ayllu, and intra-ayllu) permit heretofore unavailable insights into the chronological and spatial dimensions of life and mortuary activity in the oases and allow us to better contextualize patterns of social inequality during the dynamic Middle Period. The results of this modeling indicate two distinct peaks of occupation during the Middle Period in San Pedro and document significant temporal variability in cemetery use pattern...
The San Pedro de Atacama oases have been permanently occupied since ca. 2500 B.P. and over this t... more The San Pedro de Atacama oases have been permanently occupied since ca. 2500 B.P. and over this time developed a rich culture that was intertwined with social developments in the south-central Andes. However, despite decades of archaeological research, the region still lacks a strong chronological framework based on absolute dates. Here we present 53 new AMS 14C dates from osteological remains from San Pedro de Atacama, in order to contribute to an understanding of the Atacameño cultural sequence. These dates suggest that some cemeteries were occupied for long periods, frequently transcending cultural phases, and that in fact a number of cemeteries within the same ayllu were in use concurrently. We also show that, not surprisingly, population displacement through time primarily follows oscillations in the sources of water. The new information presented here suggests that future work in the region should emphasize detailed analyses that consider intra-ayllu variability, given that di...
Camelid pastoralism, agriculture, sedentism, surplus production, increasing cultural complexity, ... more Camelid pastoralism, agriculture, sedentism, surplus production, increasing cultural complexity, and interregional interaction during northern Chile's Late Formative period (AD 100–400) are seen in the flow of goods and people over expanses of desert. Consolidating evidence of material culture from these interactions with a bioarchaeological dimension allows us to provide details about individual lives and patterns in the Late Formative more generally. Here, we integrate a variety of skeletal, chemical, and archaeological data to explore the life and death of a small child (Calate-3N.7). By taking a multiscalar approach, we present a narrative that considers not only the varied materiality that accompanies this child but also what the child's life experience was and how this reflects and shapes our understanding of the Late Formative period in northern Chile. This evidence hints at the profound mobility of their youth. The complex mortuary context reflects numerous interacti...
Camelid pastoralism, agriculture, sedentism, surplus production, increasing cultural complexity, ... more Camelid pastoralism, agriculture, sedentism, surplus production, increasing cultural complexity, and interregional interaction during northern Chile's Late Formative period (AD 100-400) are seen in the flow of goods and people over expanses of desert. Consolidating evidence of material culture from these interactions with a bioarchaeological dimension allows us to provide details about individual lives and patterns in the Late Formative more generally. Here, we integrate a variety of skeletal, chemical, and archaeological data to explore the life and death of a small child (Calate-3N.7). By taking a multiscalar approach, we present a narrative that considers not only the varied materiality that accompanies this child but also what the child's life experience was and how this reflects and shapes our understanding of the Late Formative period in northern Chile. This evidence hints at the profound mobility of their youth. The complex mortuary context reflects numerous interactions and long-distance relationships. Ultimately, the evidence speaks to deep social relations between two coastal groups, the Atacameños and Tarapaqueños. Considering this suite of data, we can see a child whose life was spent moving through desert routes and perhaps also glimpse the construction of intercultural identity in the Formative period.
Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; the... more Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; therefore, we enable the publication of all of the content of peer review and author responses alongside final, published articles. The editorial history of this article is available here:
ABSTRACTThe San Pedro de Atacama oases, located in northern Chile’s hyperarid Atacama Desert, hav... more ABSTRACTThe San Pedro de Atacama oases, located in northern Chile’s hyperarid Atacama Desert, have been occupied for at least 3000 years. Here, we examine cemetery use in the oases, with emphasis on the Middle Period (ca. AD 400–1000). By modeling of a large corpus (n=243) of radiocarbon dates, over 90% of which are direct AMS assays of human bone collagen, we attempt to establish a temporal framework by which to explore the establishment of formalized social inequality in this period. Modeling of these dates at three locally defined scales (all ayllus, inter-ayllu, and intra-ayllu) permit heretofore unavailable insights into the chronological and spatial dimensions of life and mortuary activity in the oases and allow us to better contextualize patterns of social inequality during the dynamic Middle Period. The results of this modeling indicate two distinct peaks of occupation during the Middle Period in San Pedro and document significant temporal variability in cemetery use pattern...
This study aims to provide differential diagnoses for pathological lesions observed in a female ... more This study aims to provide differential diagnoses for pathological lesions observed in a female individual buried in the Middle Period (AD 400-1000) cemetery of Solcor 3 in northern Chile (119/13,586). The individual was a female between the ages of 30 and 40 at the time of death and was buried with a variety of grave goods. While postcranial elements are present, they remain unaffected by pathology; pathological lesions are observed on the cranium, specifically the mandible and rhino-maxillary region. Notably, osteonecrosis and lytic lesions are observed on the mandible with the body of the mandible completely destroyed. Alterations at the rhino-maxillary region differ from the mandible with the nasal bones exhibiting extensive remodeling with irregular margins and lamellated bone formation. Lytic, non-perforating lesions are present on the posterior aspects of the parietal bones as well. Osteonecrosis has been associated in modern clinical studies as a secondary response of the body to cancer treatments which include bisphosphonates, pamidronate, and zoledronate that produce cell death. The female individual under study would not have been exposed to the chemicals included in chemotherapy. Therefore, a variety of differential diagnoses could account for the observed alterations including, osteomyelitis, secondary infection in response to traumatic injury, endemic syphilis, herpes zoster (shingles), and intraosseous trigeminal schwannoma. The divergent pathological conditions observed in the rhino-maxillary region and mandible indicate multiple etiologies may explain these alterations.
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Osteonecrosis has been associated in modern clinical studies as a secondary response of the body to cancer treatments which include bisphosphonates, pamidronate, and zoledronate that produce cell death. The female individual under study would not have been exposed to the chemicals included in chemotherapy. Therefore, a variety of differential diagnoses could account for the observed alterations including, osteomyelitis, secondary infection in response to traumatic injury, endemic syphilis, herpes zoster (shingles), and intraosseous trigeminal schwannoma. The divergent pathological conditions observed in the rhino-maxillary region and mandible indicate multiple etiologies may explain these alterations.