Tiwanaku influence and social inequality: A bioarchaeological, biogeochemical, and contextual analysis of the Larache cemetery, San Pedro de Atacama, Northern Chile

A bioarchaeological and biogeochemical analysis of the Larache cemetery, San Pedro de Atacama, challenges the notion that it was a foreign enclave for Tiwanaku elites. The study reveals that while Larache served as a burial site for a diverse population—including first-generation migrants from various regions—it integrated both local and nonlocal individuals into its elite segment. Radiogenic strontium isotope analysis identified multiple migration origins, while stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes showed dietary differences, with nonlocal individuals consuming a heavily maize-based diet. The mortuary context, featuring unusual burials with abundant gold, suggests cultural integration rather than exclusion, indicating that Larache was not an enclave but a culturally cohesive elite burial site.

Torres‐Rouff, C., Knudson, K. J., Pestle, W. J., & Stovel, E. M. (2015). Tiwanaku influence and social inequality: A bioarchaeological, biogeochemical, and contextual analysis of the Larache cemetery, San Pedro de Atacama, Northern Chile. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 158(4), 592–606. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22828