Sedentism among the Archaic fisher-folk of northern Chile: A malacological perspective

Research on the Chinchorro Culture in northern Chile reveals that shellfish were not collected year-round, challenging assumptions about sedentary lifestyles. Oxygen isotope analysis of shells from Camarones West Shell Midden and Quiani, combined with radiocarbon dating spanning 5590 to 3830 B.P., indicates seasonal resource use during the Classic and Transitional Chinchorro epochs. Shell demographics further support this finding, showing consistency in shellfish types harvested from Chinchorro times to the present. This study marks the first application of oxygen isotope analysis with shell middens in the Camarones River Delta, offering new insights into the seasonality of resources and its implications for sedentism.

Llull-Billings, S. D. (2001). Sedentism among the Archaic fisher-folk of northern Chile: A malacological perspective. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. https://doi.org/10.25669/89FG-T4L0