Wari Women from Huarmey: Bioarchaeological Interpretation of Human Remains from the Wari Elite Mausoleum at Castillo de Huarmey, Peru

Excavations at the Castillo de Huarmey archaeological site brought to light the first intact burial of female high-elite members of the Wari culture. It was found beneath a large adobe mausoleum, a landmark and focal point of the lower Huarmey Valley. Abundant grave goods, among which were precious metal artefacts, luxurious pottery, beautifully decorated bone and wooden objects, as well as spinning and weaving utensils, leave no doubt about the social status of individuals buried within the main chamber. The very unique character of the find was additionally emphasized by the fact that all of the buried individuals were women, accompanied by two grave guardians, and the remains of ancestors. This book presents the results of bioarchaeological analyses performed to date, and focuses on reconstructing the funeral rite and social status of the deceased.

Table of Contents

List of figures

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 - The Site and the Excavations

Chapter 2 - A brief introduction to Wari

Chapter 3 - Archaeological Context

Chapter 4 - State of Preservation and Taphonomic Issues

Chapter 5 - Results of Bioarchaeological Analyses and Their Interpretation

Chapter 6 - Funerary Rite Reconstruction (from the bioarchaeological point of view)

Chapter 7 - Who were the women of Castillo?

Epilogue

Technical Notes

Bibliography