Labor across an Occupational and Gendered Taskscape: Bones and Bodies of the Tiwanaku State (A.D. 500–1100)

A groundbreaking bioarchaeological study of the Tiwanaku state (A.D. 500–1100) reveals how labor was organized by elevation, environment, and gender within its multiethnic society. Analyzing skeletal remains from Bolivia and Peru, researchers identified distinct patterns of osteoarthritis in wrists, hands, ankles, feet, and spines, linking them to occupational tasks and subsistence practices. The findings suggest that while heartland populations showed minimal task differentiation, indicating reciprocal and heterarchical labor structures, colonial regions exhibited significant variations, reflecting specialized labor divisions. This approach bridges archaeological taskscape theory with bioarchaeology, positioning ancient Tiwanaku individuals as active agents in understanding prehistoric labor dynamics.

Becker, S. (2019). Labor across an Occupational and Gendered Taskscape: Bones and Bodies of the Tiwanaku State (A.D. 500–1100). Bioarchaeology International, 3(2), 118–141. https://doi.org/10.5744/bi.2019.1010