Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1979 - 11

times only nobles were allowed the use of coca
leaves, which they chewed to release a small
amount of cocaine and even presented as a
sacrifice to the gods. Next a thin piece of silver
was inserted between the woman's teeth. This
custom was quite common in the Andes; copper
and gold discs were placed against the palates of
the dead as early as 2,000 years ago on the central
coast of Peru, possibly in the belief that this
valuable item would be of use during the journey
to the underworld. Early Spanish records relate
how Peruvian Indians believed that the
well-provisioned dead would not have to
work in the afterlife.
The woman's face disappeared from view
under a layer of raw cotton and a square of
double, loosely woven cotton material. Another
piece of plain cloth was folded several times over
her chest. Perhaps this served as the woman's
mantle, a common item of dress during the Inca
period. The hands were adorned with three rings:
a copper band on the left middle finger, and a
silver ring and a beaded one on the right middle
finger. Both hands were wrapped in cotton and
tied with fine strings. Four bundles of raw
cotton - each containing a small bit of cotton plant
and one seed - were laid on top of the left hand,
thus repeating the same kind of offering found in
the funeral pillow.
The arms were arranged across the woman's
chest and a wicker workbasket was positioned on
top of her body. Placed nearby in death, this
basket was probably also never far out of reach in
daily life. It contained conical laps of cotton fiber,
a wooden bobbin embellished with carved
monkeys, 14 spindles with painted decorations, a
distaf f and other wooden implements probably
used in weaving, as well as vegetable matter and
seeds possibly used as dyestuffs. The 30 grams of
copper sulfate also found in the basket may have
been used as a blue dye.
The woman's tightly flexed legs were spread
open at the knees with the feet tucked into the lap
in a flattened cross-leg position. A large quantity
of raw cotton was packed into the space between
the spread thighs and other gifts were added.
Near the head lay two small cloth parcels; one
contained a length of fine cord and some plant
fiber ready for twisting into string, while the other
held two kernels of corn, various fruits, pacay tree
leaves and flowers, and a handful of coca leaves.
It is possible that these packages represented the
woman's personal possessions, wrapped up in
cloth much like we store things in paper or plastic
bags, but the meaning of these gifts is elusive.
A piece of cord tied in a bow lay near the left
shoulder. Beside the pillow a spondylus or Thorny
Oyster shell was wrapped in raw cotton and a thin

Spindleswith decoratedceramicwhorlsdiscoveredin the workbasket.

cloth. The shell held more cotton, an unidentified
fruit and some lucuma leaves. It must have been a
luxury item and status symbol because spondylus
had to be imported from the coast of Ecuador,
more than 1,000 kilometers to the north. The
Spaniards noted that the spondylus shell was an
important offering associated with springs and
rainfall; it was considered to be a preferred food
of the gods. In fact, for more than 2,000 years
before the Incas the Thorny Oyster shell
appeared in Andean religious iconography, and
many Precolumbian ornaments and beads were
manufactured from the rosy-colored rims of
spondylus shells. Under the wrapped oyster shell
offering, another cloth parcel held leaves, seeds,
corn kernels, coca, cotton, beans and fruits.
To balance these offerings another packet was
arranged near the woman's right shoulder. It
contained nine finger rings- eight soldered silver
bands and one copper band - all tied together and
wrapped in cotton. Still another set of gifts was
arranged around the workbasket. A hank of
braided, plant fiber rope decorated with one red
feather and loops at either end was tucked in
July/August1979

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Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1979

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1979
