Traffic, mobility and diet between the Pica oasis and the arid coast of the Atacama Desert during the Late Intermediate period (northern Chile)
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
We present the results of interdisciplinary research on the topic of diet and mobility in the arheic zone of northern Chile during the Late Intermediate period (AD 900-1450), based on the study of the Pica-8 cemetery. A strategic location between the Altiplano and the coast, Pica-8 was used by an agrarian population that grew tropical and semitropical species of plants, especially maize, and engaged in highly sophisticated craft production. During the development of the Pica-Tarapaca complex, resources moved between inland oases and the coast, based on the evidence of marine species found in the valleys and vice versa. We describe the Pica-8 population using radiocarbon dates and stable isotope analysis to gain insight into diet and mobility. We also consider the relationship between diet, mobility, and funerary contexts. Results demonstrate that diet was quite variable, with groups eating a mix of marine and terrestrial resources, as well as maize. The presence of nonlocal objects suggests that Pica acted as a contact point between the coast and the Altiplano. No relationship was found between funerary context and diet. We conclude that coastal and Pica oasis populations were in permanent contact and that their relations were characterized by social harmony.
Description
Keywords
Pica-Tarapaca culture, Pica-8 cemetery, coast-oasis interaction, diet, stable isotopes, AGE, AD