Dwelling the hill: Traces of increasing sedentism in hunter-gatherers societies at Checua site, Colombia (9500-5052 cal BP)

Abstract

The archaeological site of Checua is located on an isolated hill in the Checua river valley in the Sabana de Bogotá, Northern South America. Archaeological data obtained at the site two decades ago, suggested that it was occupied by groups of hunters and gatherers since Early Holocene. Good preservation of cultural materials allowed researchers to study several aspects of ancient inhabitants of the site including subsistence strategies as well as lithic and bone technologies to manufacture artefacts. Since 2015, a research program has been carried out at Checua in order to obtain relevant data to clarify chronology and to suggest a more detailed sociocultural characterisation of the people dwelling the place. We obtained new and complementary information about chronology, subsistence and mortuary practices. Radiocarbon data allowed us to assess the earliest and latest occupation of the site, showing that while it was used since ca. 9500 years BP, mortuary practices where carried out only between 7580 and 7475 years cal BP (2σ) and 5190-5052 years cal BP (2σ). We also discuss how these data can be used to explore permanence of human occupation at places in the landscapes during the process of sedentism among hunter and gatherers groups in Northern South America.