Textiles of caserones site and its cemetery: social and political significance for the people of Tarapacá during the formative period (Northern Chile)

Authors

  • Carolina Agüero Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo, Universidad Católica del Norte. Calle Gustavo Le Paige 380, San Pedro de Atacama

Abstract

From new archaeological research on Caserones site and his cemetery (Tarapacá 40) innorth Chile, and particularly trough the textile analysis we extend the vision of this sitein the regional context and bring new interpretations of the meaning of the considerableamount of yarns and clothing of camelid fiber registered in the offerings. Specificallywe propose that the communities of Tarapacá should generate competence skills andinequalities in the economic, political and social, creating new social protagonism. Thereproduction of the symbolic and ideological social life in these times of complexity,specially the abundance of textiles in Tarapacá 40, and its ritual character, suggests that these communities were able to exercise a hegemony and leadership on access,circulation and distribution of goods traffic, both in and out of the region.

Keywords:

Archaeological Textiles, Formative Period, Caserones, Tarapacá 40, Power, Emergent Complexity, Social Inequality, Chile