Digital Object 412
Description:
UE105. Main burial of tomb T1. It is composed of eight individuals I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7 and I8 (UE105) - four adults of undetermined sex, two possible adult women (individuals I6 and I7) and two infants (individuals I2 and I3). They were located at 4.60-4.80 m depth.
All bodies were buried in extended dorsal decubitus except one of them, the I4, which was buried in prone decubitus. The highest-status character (I1) was shrouded with his arms bent over his chest and his body was placed transversally to the rest of the individuals. The feet of the main adult were arranged on a block of yellowish earth, so that his legs were slightly elevated in relation to the rest of his body. His attire of gold and tumbaga consisted of two pectorals, four bracelets, a belt of spherical beads, an earring or artifact in the form of a double lobster, a necklace of beads from which hung an anthropomorphic figure of bone, resin and gold covers, shin guards and a rattlesnake bracelet. The head was not found as this tomb was later cut when the pit of tomb T4 was excavated. For this reason we do not know the composition of his headdress. To its right (NW) was placed in parallel, but with the head oriented SW, the body of an infant (I2) of about twelve years (± 24 months) who wore two gold bracelets. The two infants, as well as the main adult, were bundled.
The most numerous artifact category of the tomb are ceramics. These are in their entirety from the Conte Tardío Period (Lothrop 1942), between 900-1000 A.D. (Cooke 2011), based on the analysis and dates obtained from a funerary deposit found in Operation 4 of Cerro Juan Díaz Site. The analysis of C14, performed on a sample of charcoal collected in the bed of the tomb of this site, yielded a date of cal. 780 to 900 A.D. The analysis of C14, performed on a sample of charcoal collected in the bed of the tomb of this site, yielded a date of cal. 780 to 900 A.D. (cal. 1170 to 1050 AP)/cal. 910 to 970 A.D. (cal. 1040 to 980 AP).
Eleven traces of a post were found on the floor of the pit, which we interpret as the remains of the support of the wooden cover that covered the bodies. Similar post footprints were also found on the perimeter of the third level burial pit of tomb T2 and similarly in tomb T7, indicating that these tombs were customarily covered with wooden decking on which ceramic offerings were placed.
The dimensions of the deposit are 3.07 x 2.47m (SW-NE x SE-NW) and the power is 15 cm.
The filling of the burial has a fine-medium granulometry, with clays and silts but also abundant sands and small gravel. The compaction is low, helped by the fact that at this depth the water table is very close and the soil is always wet. At the N end of the tomb, below the infant there is an area where the sediment is sandier and lighter in colour.
The sediment, grey and quite organic, can be a product of the mixture of the decomposition of human organic matter and the contributions of soil from successive floods and phreatic filtrations. The fact that the remains of the different individuals are in anatomical connection is not necessarily explained by having been immediately covered with soil. Given the dipping of the ceramic level and the post holes present, it is likely that the bodies were "in the air". The filling of this vacuum took place in a period of time short enough so that anatomical connections were not lost when decomposing; and wide enough to produce the disintegration of the perishable structure on which the ceramic offerings were placed. (Tafonomic interpretation -Manuel Antonio Franco-.
At the height of the head of the I6 a clearer and sandy sediment was found. This is similar to the one found under the feet of the main individual in this tomb, I1, when it was excavated in 2010.
This unit was named in 2013 as the EU163 unit.
All bodies were buried in extended dorsal decubitus except one of them, the I4, which was buried in prone decubitus. The highest-status character (I1) was shrouded with his arms bent over his chest and his body was placed transversally to the rest of the individuals. The feet of the main adult were arranged on a block of yellowish earth, so that his legs were slightly elevated in relation to the rest of his body. His attire of gold and tumbaga consisted of two pectorals, four bracelets, a belt of spherical beads, an earring or artifact in the form of a double lobster, a necklace of beads from which hung an anthropomorphic figure of bone, resin and gold covers, shin guards and a rattlesnake bracelet. The head was not found as this tomb was later cut when the pit of tomb T4 was excavated. For this reason we do not know the composition of his headdress. To its right (NW) was placed in parallel, but with the head oriented SW, the body of an infant (I2) of about twelve years (± 24 months) who wore two gold bracelets. The two infants, as well as the main adult, were bundled.
The most numerous artifact category of the tomb are ceramics. These are in their entirety from the Conte Tardío Period (Lothrop 1942), between 900-1000 A.D. (Cooke 2011), based on the analysis and dates obtained from a funerary deposit found in Operation 4 of Cerro Juan Díaz Site. The analysis of C14, performed on a sample of charcoal collected in the bed of the tomb of this site, yielded a date of cal. 780 to 900 A.D. The analysis of C14, performed on a sample of charcoal collected in the bed of the tomb of this site, yielded a date of cal. 780 to 900 A.D. (cal. 1170 to 1050 AP)/cal. 910 to 970 A.D. (cal. 1040 to 980 AP).
Eleven traces of a post were found on the floor of the pit, which we interpret as the remains of the support of the wooden cover that covered the bodies. Similar post footprints were also found on the perimeter of the third level burial pit of tomb T2 and similarly in tomb T7, indicating that these tombs were customarily covered with wooden decking on which ceramic offerings were placed.
The dimensions of the deposit are 3.07 x 2.47m (SW-NE x SE-NW) and the power is 15 cm.
The filling of the burial has a fine-medium granulometry, with clays and silts but also abundant sands and small gravel. The compaction is low, helped by the fact that at this depth the water table is very close and the soil is always wet. At the N end of the tomb, below the infant there is an area where the sediment is sandier and lighter in colour.
The sediment, grey and quite organic, can be a product of the mixture of the decomposition of human organic matter and the contributions of soil from successive floods and phreatic filtrations. The fact that the remains of the different individuals are in anatomical connection is not necessarily explained by having been immediately covered with soil. Given the dipping of the ceramic level and the post holes present, it is likely that the bodies were "in the air". The filling of this vacuum took place in a period of time short enough so that anatomical connections were not lost when decomposing; and wide enough to produce the disintegration of the perishable structure on which the ceramic offerings were placed. (Tafonomic interpretation -Manuel Antonio Franco-.
At the height of the head of the I6 a clearer and sandy sediment was found. This is similar to the one found under the feet of the main individual in this tomb, I1, when it was excavated in 2010.
This unit was named in 2013 as the EU163 unit.
Excavation campaign:
2010
Record type:
Stratigraphic unit register
Context-based browsing of El Caño repository
Archaeological site:
El Caño
Operation:
Operation 1
Stratigraphic group:
Tomb 1
Stratigraphic unit type:
Interment
Stratigraphic unit (characteristics):
105
Calibrated Age Range:
Cal AD 780 to 900 (Cal BP 1170 to 1050)/Cal AD 910 to 970 (Cal BP 1040 to 980)
Digital Object 412