The last paracas: funerary bundles from the Paracas Cavernas tradition at Cerro del Gentil in the middle Chincha valley, south coast of Peru

Abstract

The funerary practices of the Late Paracas period (500–200 BCE) related to the Cavernas style have been explored at various sites on the southern coast of Peru. However, descriptions of the archaeological contexts where mummy bundles have been recovered are scarce. This work describes nine mummy bundles that were recovered at the site of Cerro del Gentil in the Chincha valley. This article describes the mummification process, describes the objects recovered inside the bundle, and characterizes the biological features of the individuals. The results indicate similarities in the structure and way of preparing the bundles. However, variation in the use of similar objects indicate that people from a wider region participated in the burial practices. The complex spatial arrangement of the objects in these bundles indicates a distinct funerary tradition for the south coast that lasted for several centuries. The findings indicate that the Chincha valley was a central region for the cultural development of the Paracas and that the bundles constituted one of the most important offerings for political and ritual purposes.