Mortuary practices at Cotocotuyoc, Peru

Abstract

Drawing upon original excavation data as well as collaborative research and published anthropological sources, this thesis examines mortuary practices at the site of Cotocotuyoc over a period of time starting with the Middle Horizon (A.O. 550 -1000) and continuing into the Late Intermediate Period/Late Horizon (A.O. I 000 -1452). The site data are used to test existing models for the earlier Middle Horizon as well as present general trends for less well studied more recent periods in the Southern Highlands. The changes in mortuary practices over time at Cotocotuyoc are compared within the site as well as against other sites to contextualize the discussion. The dominant typological model for mortuary practices from the Central Highlands suggests that Wari socio-political hierarchies could be reflected in mortuary patterns of construction, human remains, and associated grave goods (Isbell, W. H. 2004; Milliken 2006; Tung 2003; Tung and Cook 2006). This inference is mainly based on data from the Central Highlands, but should also incorporate evidence from other Andean regions. Located in the Huaro Valley of the Southern Highlands region, excavations at Cotocotuyoc in 2005 and 2006 provide comparative material with respect to Middle Horizon mortuary feature construction, human osteological remains, and Wari-affiliated grave goods. After the disappearance of Wari influence in the Southern Highlands by the end of the Middle Horizon (around A.O. 1000), the site continues to be used for burials by the local population but shows significant changes in mortuary traditions in contrast with the earlier Middle Horizon patterns at Cotocotuyoc. The mortuary variation at Cotocotuyoc appears to tie into broader changing mortuary and socio-political patterns in the Central Andes during these periods.