ABSTRACT

Significant advances have been made in reconstructing the lives and societies of many Andean cultures through bioarchaeology and mortuary archaeology. These independent and complementary approaches have shed light on the origins of Andean populations, social and economic structures, and the many related variations of biological stress, disease, diet, and physical activity in Andean cultures. Human remains also reveal practices of artificial head shaping, ancient surgery, accidental injuries, and rituals of human sacrifice. Burial patterns similarly provide reflections of the inner workings of these cultures as well as windows on belief systems. While there was great variation in the forms and expressions of death rituals, many held direct social and political meanings but were also intertwined with spiritual beliefs that understood the ancestral dead to be source of new life in the cosmos. In the archaeological study of the pre-Hispanic Andes, the remains of the people themselves and their burials provide compelling, humanized, and unique perspectives on the ancient Andean world.