STUDY OF A TUMB REMAINS AT CUMBRES CALCHAQUES

(TUCUMN, ARGENTINA)
Mara Marta Sampietro Vattuone
During the survey of Laras river area (east side of Cumbres Calcaquies
!ucum"n# $rgentina% a tomb &as discovered# almost destroyed by climatic
and geomorphological events' !he tomb &as in association &ith Santa Mara
pottery (an archaeological Culture from north&estern $rgentina# ca ())*+,-)
$C%' !he ob.ective of the research &as to find out the number of individuals that
&ere buried in it and their physical characteristics'
$fter a rescue e/cavation# then the bones &ere anali0ed by 1*2ay' Due
to the conditions in &hich they &ere found# it &as not possible to recuperate all
the s3eleton pieces and unfortunately some of them are lost' 4o&ever# &e
determined that human bones &ere mi/ed &ith camelidae bones'
!he presence of humerus and ulnas of different shapes helped to identify
at least t&o individuals' !he analysis proved them of different gender#
appro/imately bet&een 5) and 6) years old at the time of death# &ith some
osseous pathologies and dental deformations'
7e concluded that at least t&o individuals &ere buried in the tomb# a
female and a male &ith different si0es and shape# accompanied by an animal
as funerary offer' 8ven though the evidences of pathology could imply old age#
the characteristics of the ma.ority of the bones ma3es more plausible that the
t&o individuals &ere young adults &ith previous pathology caused by e/cessive
physical activity'
56) &ords including title