New Wari Mortuary Structures in the Ayacucho Valley, Peru

Recent archaeological salvage excavations in the Ayacucho Valley of the Peruvian Central Highlands resulted in the discovery of two totally new mortuary structure forms for the region and for the Wari culture in particular. The first form consists of two rectangular mortuary chambers, each with a sm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of anthropological research 2002-10, Vol.58 (3), p.389-407
Main Authors: Valdez, Lidio M., Bettcher, Katrina J., Valdez, J. Ernesto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ancient funeral rites
Anthropology
Archaeology
Archeology
Architecture
Bones
Clay soils
Cultural customs
Culture
Ethnology
Excavations
Funeral monuments
Funerals
Graves
Historical source materials
Peru
Pottery
Social organization
Sources and methods
Stone
Wari
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Summary:Recent archaeological salvage excavations in the Ayacucho Valley of the Peruvian Central Highlands resulted in the discovery of two totally new mortuary structure forms for the region and for the Wari culture in particular. The first form consists of two rectangular mortuary chambers, each with a small east-facing entrance and holding the interred remains of several individuals. The second form consists of several cylindrical cists, each containing the remains of a single individual. We describe both mortuary forms and compare them to other known Wari mortuary structures of the region. Since both chambers evidently were accessible, we also discuss their possible implications with regard to ancestor worship, keeping in mind that an important aspect of Inka ayllu organization was the veneration of ancestors' mummified bodies kept in accessible mortuary buildings.
ISSN:0091-7710
2153-3806
DOI:10.1086/jar.58.3.3631183