Francisca Santana-Sagredo

• DPhil in Archaeological Science
• Assistant Professor at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

The decline of the Tiwanaku state saw the emergence of two new cultures—Pica-Tarapacá and Atacama—during the Late Intermediate Period in northern Chile. Archeological evidence suggests that both groups practised maize agriculture and pastoralism, but that their interaction zones differed significantly. Marine resources are common at Pica-Tarapacá s...

The archaeological record shows that large pre-Inca agricultural systems supported settlements for centuries around the ravines and oases of northern Chile’s hyperarid Atacama Desert. This raises questions about how such productivity was achieved and sustained, and its social implications. Using isotopic data of well-preserved ancient plant remains...

We present isotopic and morphometric evidence suggesting the migration of farmers in the southern Andes in the period AD 1270-1420, leading up to the Inka conquest occurring ~ AD 1400. This is based on the interdisciplinary study of human remains from archaeological cemeteries in the Andean Uspallata Valley (Argentina), located in the southern fron...

Paleoparasitological studies have provided insights into ancient parasite occurrence and its relationship to the health, lifestyle, and cultural practices of past populations. We analyzed 26 human coprolites and digestive tract contents, most of them contained in mummified human bodies, from coastal and inland archaeological sites in the Atacama De...

Physical violence and social conflict have been widely studied in the ancient societies of the Andes. However, studies about violence are scarce for the Formative period of northern Chile (1000 BC–AD 900). Evidence from these investigations is generally interpreted as interpersonal violence, whose protagonists are mostly men. Here, we present the c...

Marked environmental changes occurred in the southern Patagonian archipelago during the middle and late Holocene, including increased variability in glacial coverage and marine productivity. Those changes likely impacted the lives of marine hunter gatherers and their exploitation of faunal resources. Here, we examine temporal trends in fishes captu...

We present the results of an interdisciplinary study conducted at the Pedernales-5 site, situated in the Salar de Pedernales basin (26°S; 3356 masl), dated from 10,510−10,749 to 11,201−11,612 cal. BP. Unlike other Late Pleistocene and Holocene sites in the Andean Puna, where vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) were the primary prey, at Pedernales-5, the zooa...

We present the results of technological and protein residue analyses of the lithic assemblages recovered at the Pedernales-38 site (26.5°S; 69°W), located in the highlands of the southern Andes (3380 masl). Based on a reconstruction of the operational chains and the differential representation of their phases, we suggest that the final production,...

This article presents the results of excavations at the Infieles-1 site, located at 3529 m. a.s.l. in the Salar de Infieles (25 S), highlands of the Chile's southern Puna ecoregion. An initial human occupation was discovered next to an ignimbrite rock-shelter at a depth of 70e80 cm on top of a volcanic ash deposit, dated between 10,798 and 12,440 c...

Food production is one of the most significant achievements in Andean history. The domestication of plants and animals presented an enormous challenge, relating to changing technologies, settlement patterns, and social organization. This paper aims to assess Atacama Desert population dynamics and their relationship to the domestication of plants an...

This article presents the results of the interdisciplinary investigation in Quebrada Pedernales (26°S-69°W, Chile 3456 masl), in the highlands of northern Chile. The excavations and surveys carried out revealed a great diversity of pre-Hispanic evidence in an area of the Andes that has been little investigated. This evidence allowed us to reconstru...

Because camelids today are found almost exclusively in the South American highlands (puna), archaeologists originally assumed that they largely inhabited that ecosystem in pre-Colonial times (Murra 1972; Núñez 1984; Núñez and Dillehay [1978] 1995). However, we now know that lowland camelid herds were either killed by Spanish conquerors or died from...

Faunal remains from archaeological sites worldwide, especially feces and regurgitated pellets, are usually subjected to paleoparasitological examination, allowing the identification of past animal parasites. In this study, we analyzed 10 samples of South American camelid dung, which played an important role for the ancient human groups in the South...

Compilation of 1003 radiocarbon dates of archaeological sites located in the Northern Atacama Desert, South-Central Andes, and published between 1963 and 2021. To see associated references: https://data.mendeley.com/drafts/5772rx4df8

Cuchipuy is an archaeological site within the ancient Laguna de Tagua Tagua area (O’Higgins Region, central Chile; known for containing the remains of extinct fauna), with evidence for cultural activity spanning most of the Holocene, including over 50 human burials. The bulk of chronometric work at Cuchipuy was carried out in the 1980s, where a dis...

We present new evidence obtained in archaeological surveys in Quebrada Pedernales (3356 masl), in the southern puna of Chile (26°S; 69°W). A series of surface findings such as large lanceolate stemmed projectile points and geometric stones, together with chronostratigraphic and artifactual data recovered in excavations at the Pedernales-38 site, su...

Siguiendo una línea de análisis interdisciplinario se presentan los resultados en relación con la dieta y la movilidad en la zona arreica del norte de Chile durante el periodo Intermedio tardío (900-1450 dC). Se propone evaluar el cementerio sincrónico Pica-8 por su situación como un nodo intermedio entre el altiplano y el litoral. Representa a una...

Results of the zooarchaeological analysis of the Pedernales-1 site are presented. The site is located at 3.379 m.a.s.l. in the Pedernales salt flat (Atacama Region, Chile), dated in 2,964-3,206 cal. years BP for the earliest component and 539-634 cal. years. BP for the later component. The faunistic record is mainly composed by remains of vicuñas (...

In this paper we propose explanatory hypotheses about the sexual politics that were from time to time implemented in the configuration of the Pampa del Tamarugal formative community, with the aim to contribute to the archaeological study of social reproduction. The bioanthropological collections of the Tarapacá 40 Cemetery underwent an osteological...

El análisis de los restos alimenticios de las poblaciones nos entrega información de distintos aspectos de su vida cotidiana, contenidos en las dimensiones fisiológica, ecológica, tecnológica y socio-cultural de la alimentación. Con el fin de evaluar dichos aspectos en las poblaciones de Isla Mocha durante el período Alfarero Tardío, el presente tr...

The results of archaeological surface surveys carried out on Infieles (25°58’39’S 69°03’25’’W) and Pedernales (26°13’59’’S-69°07’16’’W) salt flats, Atacama, Chile, located at an altitude from 3000 to 4100 masl are presented. Both surveys were carried out in areas that directly connect the Arid North with the Semiarid. The surveys are part of a proj...

The Andes are a unique geological and biogeographic feature of South America. From the perspective of human geography, this mountain range provides ready access to highly diverse altitudinally arranged ecosystems. The combination of a geologically and ecologically diverse landscape provides an exceptional context to explore the potential of stronti...

Se presenta el sitio Iluga Túmulos de la región de Tarapacá, Chile. El sitio se localiza en Pampa Iluga, al sur del Cerro Unitas donde se dispone el geoglifo Gigante de Tarapacá y al oeste de la quebrada de Tarapacá. Se asocia a miles de hectáreas de campos de cultivo y sistemas de irrigación, vinculados a un notable complejo de túmulos y arquitect...

In this paper we present and assess human isotopic data (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) available for Southern Chile. We analyze 24 cases from six different geographical zones, dated 200-1850 AD. This new information allows us to characterize individuals who had different subsistence patterns, social organization and historical trajectories, vis-a-vis phenomena li...

En este trabajo se describen las relaciones que las sociedades humanas establecieron con su entorno durante el período Formativo (3000-1000 aP) en la Pampa del Tamarugal, Desierto de Atacama, desde una perspectiva teórico-metodológica que pone el acento en el potencial del registro ecofactual. Éste, al mediar entre lo cultural y lo ambiental, propo...

Un trabajo de rescate arqueológico en la cuenca alta del Río Loa (norte de Chile) resultó en el hallazgo de una inhumación prehispánica de un infante asociado a variados atavíos y ofrendas, junto a los restos óseos parciales de una adolescente. Ambos individuos fueron sometidos a análisis de isótopos estables para establecer paleodieta (δ ¹³ C y δ...

Este libro compilatorio resulta una excelente iniciativa, pues entrega una perspectiva general de la historia de la investigación arqueológica e histórica del oasis de Quillagua, desde sus inicios a fines del siglo XIX hasta los últimos estudios a comienzos del siglo XXI. A través de una selección de 15 artículos se dan a conocer los distintos equi...

Pastoralism and camelid management have been essential to all aspects of pre-Hispanic Andean societies. Here, we present zooarchaeological and isotopic data on domestic camelid remains from Huaca Cao Viejo (El Brujo archaeological complex) on the northern coast of Peru, and dated to the Lambayeque/Sicán period—to characterise their biological age,...

Geoheritage at El Loa Superior region, from Ollagüe to Toconce volcanoes

Volcanic Geo-heritage is related to the study of volcanic processes aiming to comprehend the Earth’s surface evolution, as well as linking volcanic activity with the development of human history. Also, this involves investigating and teaching of volcanic hazards associated with human settling. El Loa Superior is a cultural region related to El Loa...

Se presenta los primeros fechados 14 C AMS para el sitio Cueva de los Catalanes (región de la Araucanía, Chile). Uno de ellos extiende la presencia de Phaseolus vulgaris L. al primer milenio d.C., constituyendo la evidencia más temprana de cultígenos en esta zona de Chile. Esto pudiera apuntar a un escenario de mayor variabilidad en cuanto a la imp...

Research on the Late Intermediate Period (AD 900–1450) in northern Chile has been strongly influenced by two mobility models: John Murra's classic vertical ecological archipelago model, with highland colonies in the lowlands; and the gyratory mobility model, with pastoralists and their llama caravans controlling trade. The widespread application of...

Se ha generado una gran controversia sobre los estándares científicos, legales y éticos en investigaciones que involucran el uso de restos humanos. El origen del debate se encuentra en la publicación de un artículo que describe la secuenciación del genoma completo de un cuerpo descrito como de origen «extraterrestre» por organizaciones en torno a l...

La aplicación de isótopos estables en la investigación arqueológica y en paleociencias ha tenido un crecimiento exponencial durante los últimos años en todo el mundo, y América del sur no fue la excepción. Una muestra de los comienzos del creciente uso, fue la organización durante 2006 en la ciudad de Malargüe del Taller de Arqueología e Isótopos E...

El II Taller de Arqueología e Isotopos Estables en el Sur de Sudamérica se llevará a cabo entre el 1 y el 3 de noviembre del corriente año, en el Complejo Tecnológico Los Reyunos de la Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Facultad Regional San Rafael (http://www.reyunos.utn.edu.ar/) La reunión tiene como principal objetivo debatir acerca de las distin...

La aplicación de isótopos estables en la investigación arqueológica y en paleociencias ha tenido un crecimiento exponencial durante los últimos años en todo el mundo, y América del sur no fue la excepción. Una muestra de los comienzos del creciente uso, fue la organización durante 2006 en la ciudad de Malargüe del Taller de Arqueología e Isótopos E...

The Formative Period in Tarapacá (Atacama Desert, 1st Region, Chile) is characterized by profound social, economic and ideological changes, as well as technological innovations in pottery and the beginning of agriculture in the Pampa of Tamarugal (Muñoz et al. 2016). This is well represented in the Caserones village (site Cas-1), and its associated...

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Pica 8 is a Late Intermediate Period (AD 900–1450) cemetery located in the Atacama Desert. Burials at the site present unexpectedly high variability in13C (–8‰ to –16‰) and 15N (10‰ to 24‰) values in their skeletal tissues, implying highly diverse diets.........

Pica 8 is a Late Intermediate Period (AD 900–1450) cemetery located in the Atacama Desert. Burials at the site present unexpectedly high variability in δ13C (–8‰ to –16‰) and δ15N (10‰ to 24‰) values in their skeletal tissues, implying highly diverse diets. There are two possible explanations for this variability: the first is diachronic change in...

Pica 8 is a Late Intermediate Period (AD 900–1450) cemetery located in the Atacama Desert. Burials at the site present unexpectedly high variability in13C (–8‰ to –16‰) and 15N (10‰ to 24‰) values in their skeletal tissues, implying highly diverse diets. There are two possible explanations for this variability: the first is diachronic change in d...

Primera Circular La aplicación de isótopos estables en la investigación arqueológica y en paleociencias ha tenido un creciente desarrollo en todo el mundo. Este impulso reciente de investigaciones que incluyen información isotópica en el sur de Sudamérica, junto a la complejización metodológica de esta línea de investigación, genera la necesidad de...

For many years, archaeologists have examined the Tiwanaku phenomenon outside the Titicaca basin. The research has been mainly focused on economical systems, and religious and ecological complementarity between centers and their periphery in the Andes. However, dominated by our conceptions of state and empire, those reconstructions are biased by an...

Objective The goal of this research is to understand the relevance of diet diversity during the transition to agriculture, in ancient populations from northern Chile, especially considering the significance of marine resources and crops in a lesser degree.MethodsA total of 14 human individuals were sampled from the Tarapacá 40 cemetery. Both bone a...

El principal objetivo de este trabajo es compartir los últimos datos y fechados de radiocarbono obtenidos para el cementerio Tarapacá-40 (norte de Chile). Estos son evaluados y discutidos en relación a recientes estudios de sus restos humanos y del material cultural asociado, en especial de su alfarería, los tejidos y la gran diversidad de ofrendas...

This article provides new radiocarbon dates from mortuary contexts at the Tarapacá-40 cemetery site in northern Chile, in the Tarapacá Valley, and assesses them in regard to the associated human remains and cultural material, especially pottery, textiles, and other objects in some of the tombs. We then assess the implications of these new data for...

Archaeological research in the Atacama Desert has recovered evidence of considerable cultural variability. This variability seems to have increased during the Late Intermediate Period (AD 950-1400). The oasis of Quillagua, located at the margins of the Loa River in northern Chile, between the Andes and the coast (70 km from the Pacific ocean), has...

En las últimas décadas los arqueólogos han tendido a examinar la problemática Tiwanaku fuera del núcleo altiplánico, principalmente en términos de acceso a recursos y/o complementariedad ecológica y religiosa, entre un centro y su periferia. Sin embargo, dominados por las ideas de Estados o imperios, estas reconstrucciones adolecen de reduccionismo...

During its prehistory, Chile's desert north was occupied by numerous cultures scattered across the various ecological niches of the region. However, from the Late Archaic forward there is archaeological evidence for the sharing of resources and cultural elements across groups, a practice that intensified during the Middle and Late Intermediate Peri...

During its prehistory, Chile's desert north was occupied by numerous cultures scattered across the various ecological niches of the region. However, from the Late Archaic forward there is archaeological evidence for the sharing of resources and cultural elements across groups, a practice that intensified during the Middle and Late Intermediate Peri...

Understanding the peopling of the Americas remains an important and challenging question. Here, we present 14C dates, and morphological, isotopic and genomic sequence data from two human skulls from the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, part of one of the indigenous groups known as ‘Botocudos’. We find that their genomic ancestry is Polynesian, with n...

Este trabajo da cuenta del proceso de conservación y puesta en valor de osamentas humanas y materiales culturales rescatados del cementerio prehispánico Rinconada de Quillagua, conocido en la literatura arqueológica como cementerio Oriente (02-Qui-01 y 02-Qui-02). El alto grado de intervención y saqueo sucesivo que éste ha sufrido a lo largo del ti...

Tagua Tagua (Chile Central), y sus nuevas edades radiocarbónicas, han permitido definir este sitio como un asentamiento habitacional con varios eventos ocupacionales asociados a prácticas funerarias. Las primeras ocupaciones corresponderían a cazadores-recolectores del Holoceno Medio y Tardío y el último a un evento del Alfarero Temprano. Abstract...

RESUMEN El desarrollo del período Formativo (3000-1500 AP) dio paso a la consolidación de nuevas formas de produc-ción y tecnología tales como la agricultura y la alfarería. Al mismo tiempo, ha sido asociado a cambios en la dieta de las poblaciones del pasado relacionándolo con una mayor ingesta de carbohidratos como el maíz. El presente trabajo ti...

Multiculturalidad en el Cementerio Oriente de Quillagua ¿Co-existencia de grupos culturales? Una aproximación desde la bioantropología mediante análisis isotópicos de dieta y movilidad en el curso inferior del río Loa, Período Intermedio Tardío Memoria para optar al Título de Antropóloga Física Nombre: