A chronology for the earliest human burials at Cuchipuy, central Chile

Abstract

Cuchipuy is an archaeological site within the ancient Laguna de Tagua Tagua area (O’Higgins Region, central Chile; known for containing the remains of extinct fauna), with evidence for cultural activity spanning most of the Holocene, including over 50 human burials. The bulk of chronometric work at Cuchipuy was carried out in the 1980s, where a discrepancy within the radiocarbon dating results raised questions on the antiquity of the oldest funerary deposits (Stratum 4). Given the importance of both the site and area in prehistoric studies, this analysis aimed to reassess the chronology of Stratum 4 through the production of new radiocarbon dates on human remains and the application of Bayesian modelling. When combined with previously published ages, results place the commencement of Stratum 4 at 7320–7160 cal BP, within the early-mid Holocene. This is later than previous conclusions based on the discrepant dataset, refuting a temporal connection to Paleoindian deposits within the region. In addition, stable light isotope results suggest that human diet during the period was diverse, relying on both terrestrial and freshwater aquatic resources. This pattern changes with later populations, however, where the isotopic signal reflects the consumption of mainly terrestrial resources.