Human corpse manipulation and the body as symbol: A case study from the Eastern Pampa–Patagonia transition (Argentina) during the Final Late Holocene

Martínez, Gustavo; Flensborg, Gustavo; Bayala, Pablo

doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2011.12.002

Cited by 34 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Increasing complexity of burials in the Late Holocene has been seen as indicative of significant socioeconomic changes in the region's hunter-gatherer groups (Martínez et al 2012). The repeated use of the same sites for burial, along with the more frequent use of secondary burials and inclusions of grave goods, show an increased investment in the dead (Martínez et al 2012).…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The repeated use of the same sites for burial, along with the more frequent use of secondary burials and inclusions of grave goods, show an increased investment in the dead (Martínez et al 2012). This change is considered to be the result of 'major changes and reorganisation of cultural systems towards the Final Late-Holocene', ca.…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…950-1700 CE (Flensborg et al 2015:816). The aspects of daily life potentially affected by these changes are varied; however, several are likely to have been significant in this case: changes to territoriality, increased resource exploitation and increased social interaction and networking (Politis 2008;Flensborg 2011;Martínez et al 2012;Flensborg et al 2015).…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Taking care in prehistoric Latin America: A case study of care giving among hunter-gatherers in the Final Late Holocene

Fisher¹

2017

The Human Voyage

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A published case of metastatic cancer from a hunter-gather group in pre-Columbian Argentina analysed the effects this illness would have on group dynamics. This essay uses the published details of the case study to analyse the possibility of care being provided to the dying individual. After a detailed discussion on the skeletal analysis and diagnosis offered by the original authors, this essay proposes that prior to his illness this individual would have been an active contributor to his group, likely involved in the transport and manipulation of stone. The functional impact the individual would have experienced as the result of his illness is discussed including the impact on the rest of his group, i.e. reduced contributions to group subsistence and inability to maintain residential mobility in a nomadic lifestyle. This essay argues that, based on the accommodation of their ill member by continuing to supply food despite his deteriorating state, this group of hunter-gatherers valued their individual members more so than their contribution to the group. This case study provides an insight into the value system of a pre-Columbian hunter-gatherer group outside of the more commonly examined subsistence activities, trading and burial practices.

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Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Taking care in prehistoric Latin America: A case study of care giving among hunter-gatherers in the Final Late Holocene

Fisher¹

2017

The Human Voyage

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“…Arroyo Seco 2 la estructura ósea (e.g., forámenes). Esta distribución se explica por el hecho de que la sustancia utilizada en la coloración de los elementos óseos sería lo suficientemente líquida como para poder penetrar en el interior de los huesos (Martínez et al 2006;Martínez et al 2012). Durante la excavación se notó que este tinte se hallaba esparcido sobre el sedimento que rodeaba algunos cráneos (Martínez et al 2006).…”

Section: El Registro Bioarqueológicounclassified

“…En un caso, se registró un par de huellas de corte sobre un fragmento de bóveda craneana correspondiente a un individuo infante. Es importante destacar que este cráneo (Nº 50), representado por los huesos frontal y parietales, se halló desarticulado e intencionalmente acomodado sobre un coxal femenino (ver figura 6 en Martínez et al 2012). Es decir, los distintos sectores de la bóveda craneana fueron colocados en forma superpuesta y usando como base la porción frontal del cráneo no fusionado.…”

Section: Entierrounclassified

Procesos De Formación Y Efectos Tafonómicos en Entierros Humanos: El Caso Del Sitio Paso Alsina 1 en Patagonia Nororiental Argentina

González

2013

Magallania

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RESUMENEl registro bioarqueológico del sitio Paso Alsina 1 (curso inferior del río Colorado, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina) aporta evidencias importantes para el conocimiento de las poblaciones humanas que habitaron esta zona transicional entre Pampa y Patagonia durante los momentos finales del Holoceno tardío (ca. 1.000-250 años AP). En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de un estudio tafonómico realizado sobre dos entierros secundarios múltiples de Paso Alsina 1. La diversidad de variables analizadas permitió inferir la historia postmortem y postdepositacional del conjunto óseo humano. La bioturbación tuvo un bajo impacto general mientras que los procesos físico-químicos vinculados con el microambiente de depositación provocaron alteraciones en la integridad anatómica de diversos elementos óseos. Por otra parte, la presencia de huellas de corte sobre algunas unidades anatómicas refleja la intervención humana sobre algunos cuerpos como parte de las prácticas mortuorias.PALABRAS CLAVE: tafonomía, entierros secundarios múltiples, cazadores-recolectores, Patagonia nororiental, Holoceno tardío final. FORMATION PROCESSES AND TAPHONOMIC EFFECTS IN HUMAN BURIALS: THE PASO ALSINA 1 SITE IN NORTH-EASTERN PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA ABSTRACTThe bioarchaeological record from the site Paso Alsina 1 (lower basin of the Colorado river, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina) contributes with important evidences for the knowledge of human populations inhabiting this transitional area between the Pampas and Patagonia during the Final Late Holocene (ca. 1.000-250 years BP). The results from the taphonomic study of two secondary multiple burials from Paso Alsina 1 are presented in this paper. The different analyzed variables allowed to infer the postmortem and postdepositional history of the human bone assemblage. Bioturbation impact was limited but the physical-chemical processes operating in the sedimentary context affected the anatomical integrity of diverse bone elements. On the other hand, the presence of cut marks on several anatomical units indicates human manipulation of some human bodies in the context of mortuary practices.

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Quantitative discrimination of deformation in Fueguian crania

Lucea

Salicrú

Turbón

2018

American J Hum Biol

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Objectives: Artificial deformation of the cranium in humans has been related to powerful environmental-cultural stimuli that modify vectors of growth and development when the cranium is still malleable. Osteological differentiation into deformed and nondeformed remains enables the morphological information of individuals that make up ethnic groups or populations to be separately contrasted, the invariant measurements of deformation to be identified, the information provided by archeological remains to be placed in a social context, the cranial variation to be related to genetic variation (individuals without deformation), and predictions to be made (in the absence of direct genetic information). Methods: With samples of reduced size and many variables, we propose a decision rule based on: (a) pre-selecting variables (Kruskal-Wallis and Λ-Wilks test); (b) applying logistic regression to obtain the optimal classification criterion; and (c) defining a multi-criterion decision rule to bring about greater robustness. Results: After applying the decision rule to a sample of 180 crania (71 from the Selknam, 74 from the Yamana, and 35 from the Alakaluf ethnic groups), it was possible to identify the Selknam men with frontal deformation and the Yamana women with flattening of the parietal regions at the height of the bregma. Conclusions: From there on with the information provided by the graphical representation of the populations in the most informative dimensions and the homogeneity contrast between sexes, we related the frontal deformation in Selknam men to dragging firewood, vegetable matter, domestic utensils, and heavy pieces of meat from the hunt. On the other hand, the flattening of the parietal areas at the height of the bregma in Yamana women is related to loading and transporting vegetables and animals in baskets or leather sacks. K E Y W O R D S deformed skulls, Fuego-Patagonians, logistic regression FIGURE 1 Main sites of Tierra del Fuego and South Patagonia showing the diversity of crania, modified or not, by sexes. For more detailed information (only for current Chilean territory), see Alfonso-Durruty et al. (2015). Circles: female; triangle: male. Diamond: Not deformed. In black: with deformation LUCEA ET AL.

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Human corpse manipulation and the body as symbol: A case study from the Eastern Pampa–Patagonia transition (Argentina) during the Final Late Holocene

Cited by 34 publications

References 48 publications

Taking care in prehistoric Latin America: A case study of care giving among hunter-gatherers in the Final Late Holocene

Taking care in prehistoric Latin America: A case study of care giving among hunter-gatherers in the Final Late Holocene

Procesos De Formación Y Efectos Tafonómicos en Entierros Humanos: El Caso Del Sitio Paso Alsina 1 en Patagonia Nororiental Argentina

Quantitative discrimination of deformation in Fueguian crania

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