Characterization of late intermediate and late period occupations (~1.000-1.536 years A.D.) in Mauro Valley (IV Región, Chile) through the zooarchaeological record

Authors

  • Bárbara Rivera Tesista de Pregrado en Arqueología, Departamento de Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile
  • Patricio López Mendoza Programa de Doctorado en Antropología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo Gustavo Le Paige (IIAM), Calle Gustavo Le Paige Nº 380, San Pedro de Atacama
  • Isabel Cartajena Universidad de Chile, Departamento de Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Ignacio Carrera Pinto 1045, Ñuñoa, Santiago
  • Boris Santander Programa de Doctorado en Cuaternario y Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, España; InstitutCatalà de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, IPHES, Tarragona

Abstract

The results obtained from the zooarchaeological analysis of the Late Intermediate Period (~1.000-1.400 AD) and the Late Period (1.400-1.536 AD) of the Valle de Mauroare discussed. Late Intermediate Period occupations shows a low scale resource exploitation of the valley, centered in camelids, which is coherent with what was indicated for the same period in other sectors of the Semiarid North. In the case of the Late Period, resources are diversified and they increase in number, which is related to sociopolitical and economical changes well-established by the Tawantinsuyu. Regarding the bone record for both periods there is a diversification of camelids sizes, which is probably related to local breeding processes and domestic taxa introduction by the Inca, and their use in caravan routes, as a food resource and to provide source materials in activities such as manufacture of textiles.

Keywords:

Late Intermediate Period, Late Period, Zooarchaeology, Semiarid North, Chile