Browsing by Author "Williams, Jocelyn S."
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Item Decapitación y cabezas humanas del valle de Acarí, Perú(2010) Valdez, Lidio M.; Williams, Jocelyn S.; Bettcher, Katrina J.; Dausse, Lucie; Dausse, LucieArchaeological excavations at Amato, a site established at the beginning of the Early Intermediate period (circa 50 BC – 300 AD) in the Acari Valley of the Peruvian south coast, uncovered two isolated human heads from different contexts. One head was found near an area where dozens intentionally decapitated skeletons were recovered. The second head was located in association with the main wall that encloses the site. Both heads were buried in similar fashion to Early Intermediate period south coast trophy heads; however, these heads from Amato were not culturally modified (e.g. perforated frontal bone and/or artificially enlarged foramen magnum). These two isolated heads demonstrate that not all human decapitation in the Acari Valley was for the purposes of securing trophy heads. Based on these findings, we suggest that the purpose and motivation for human decapitation and head-taking in the past was complex.Item Prácticas mortuorias Wari en Marayniyoq, valle de Ayacucho, Perú(2006) Valdez, Lidio M.; Williams, Jocelyn S.; Bettcher, Katrina J.Results are presented from the analysis of human remains excavated from two mortuary structures at the site of Wari of Marayniyoq in the Ayacucho Valley, Peru. Until very recently, Wari mortuary studies were aimed mostly at the analysis of the mortuary structures, paying little attention to the human remains. This study of osteological remains from two Wari mortuary structures revealed not only a large population lived at the site of Marayniyoq, but that the structures held individuals of all ages and both sexes. They conclude that during the Wari reign diverse forms of burial were practiced in the valley, and some were used for generations, resulting in an accumulation of numerous remains in the relatively small mortuary structures. Finally the evidence from Marayniyoq is used to elaborate on the population profile of the deposit, which clearly indicates a high infant mortality rate.