Browsing by Autor "Petri Liuha"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type: Item ,
    A preliminary archaeological and environmental study of pre‐Columbian burial towers at Huachacalla, Bolivian Altiplano
    (Wiley, 2002) Matti J. Rossi; Risto Kesseli; Petri Liuha; Jédu Sagárnaga Meneses; J. C. Pérez Bustamante
    Abstract Chullpas are pre‐Columbian burial towers built by indigenous Aymaras on the Bolivian Altiplano. Bolivian chullpas date back to the Late Intermediate Period (A.D. 1000–1476) and the Late Horizon (A.D. 1476–1532). We recorded 228 chullpas among 84 sites in the Huachacalla region of west‐central Bolivia. In our study area, the chullpas are on debris flows and coarse alluvium in the proximal and medial segments of alluvial fans at the foot of two volcanoes. Grain‐size, element, and mineralogical analysis of chullpa wall material and local sediment revealed that the burial towers are composed of calcareous sand that is readily available in alluvial fan deposits near the sites. Our data suggest that the Aymaras considered environmental factors, such as drainage and stability of the soil, when they selected the locations of chullpas, whereas cultural factors played a significant role in chullpa architecture. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.