Wooden Canoe Burial Discovered in Northern Patagonia
Friday, August 26, 2022
Wooden Canoe Burial Discovered in Northern Patagonia
AddThis Social Bookmark Button Share
Friday, August 26, 2022
Argentina Wampo Burial(Pérez et al. 2022, PLOS ONE)TEMUCO, CHILE—Live Science reports that Alberto Pérez of Temuco Catholic University and his colleagues have discovered the remains of a young Mapuche woman who was buried in a wampo, or ceremonial canoe, between 850 and 1,000 years ago at the Newen Antug archaeological site, which is located on what is now private land in western Argentina. Some scholars had previously suggested that this burial practice was used only after Spanish colonization, but Pérez argues that the wood rots rapidly in South America’s climate, leaving little direct evidence. “The previous evidence was important and was based on ethnographic data, but the evidence was indirect,” he explained. Only fragments of the canoe, made by hollowing out a single tree trunk with fire, remain in this grave. Analysis of the fragments indicates that they came from a single Chilean cedar. The woman’s body was set on a bed of freshwater clam shells, and its position, with the arms set over the torso and raised head and feet, indicate that she had been placed in a concave structure with thicker walls at its ends, such as the bow and stern of a canoe. A pottery jug decorated with white glaze and red geometric patterns had been placed by the woman’s head for her final journey. Read the original scholarly article about this research in PLOS ONE. To read about another recent discovery in Argentina, go to "Around the World: Argentina."
https://www.archaeology.org/news/10792-220826-mapuche-canoe-burial
~ ~ ~
A woman was buried in a canoe on her way to the ‘destination of souls’ 800 years ago
According to new research, Up to 800 years ago, mourners buried a young woman in a ceremonial canoe to represent her final journey to the land of the dead in what is now Patagonia.
According to the study’s authors, the discovery disproves the theory that canoe burials may have been used only after Spanish colonization and supports ethnographic and historical evidence that they were practiced throughout pre-Hispanic South America.
The first evidence of such burial to be found in Argentinian Patagonia. In their paper published on the open-access site, PLOS ONE, the group describes their study of the remains.
The remains were found at a dig site called Newen Antug, which is close to Lake Lacár in the western part of Argentina.
Wooden canoes of the time, known as wampo, were hollowed out using fire. In Mapuche society, a wooden wampo or small canoe or a symbolic representation of someone was available for the journey to the final abode of the dead beyond a body of water to be crossed in a boat.
The woman was between the ages of 17 and 25 at the time of her death, according to analysis, but the cause of death could not be determined. They also discovered a jug placed close to her head and nearly 600 pieces of wood from a single Chilean cedar tree surrounding her. there were also signs that the wood had been charred. Testing of the woman’s bone fragments showed she was from approximately 1142 AD, which means she was likely a member of the Mapuche culture and that she lived and died before the Spanish arrived.
More:
https://arkeonews.net/a-woman-was-buried-in-a-canoe-on-her-way-to-the-destination-of-souls-800-years-ago/
= new reply since forum marked as read
