Funerary catachresis: the use of metal objects as gadgets in chimú tombs at Huaca de la Luna, northern coast of Peru

Ciprian Quispe J.; Gayoso Rullier H.L. · Boletin del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (2022) · DOI: 10.56522/bmchap.0030020270002

Resumen

In many pre-Colombian Andean societies, small metal objects, mainly copper ones, were placed in specific locations on human corpses when they were laid in their tombs. Despite this being a widespread custom in the region during pre-Hspanic times, investigations of it are few. This paper reports on the continuity of this practice within tombs of the Chimú culture (ca. AD 1100-1470) found at Huacas de Moche, on the northern Peruvian coast. After analyzing the morphological features of the objects, we discuss their location by age group and their use in the funerary context, with the support of ethnography. We suggest that these objects were placed in the tombs not as funerary offerings but as magical gadgets for propitiatory, prophetic and/or punishment purposes.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Trujillo