Final Week of Digging

July 20th, 2009

Sitio: P.A.S.
Sector: Qochapata
Subsector: 3
Unidad: 14
Excavators: Meg, Christina, Jose

Continued excavating the burial at unit 14. We began by cleaning the area of dirt and rocks that fell into the burial from the weekend. After we cleaned the unit, we began taking the bones out. first we started with thte skull fragments and put them all in a bag. Next, we began pulling the other bones out and organizing them categorically (i.e. hands/feet, long bones ribs, shoulder girdle, etc). After we excavated all of the loose, exposed bones we began digging deeper to take out the 2 long bones that are lodged in the matrix of the pit. Unit measurements were also taken. Some ceramics were found in the burial pit as well.

July 21th, 2009

Sitio: P.A.S.
Sector: Qochapata
Subsector: 3
Unidad: 14
Excavators: Meg, Christina, Jose

We began by extending the pit on the Wester side of the unit to see how far the long bones extend we found a large ceramic piece on the western side of the unit near the tree root. This might possibly be an indication that we are finally reaching the primary burial area. Jose uncovered an innominate (pelvic) bone. We later uncovered another ceramic piece in the center of the pit, and I identified the corpus sterni, or body, of a sternum.
Interpretation: from what I can see of the innominate bone, - which isn’t much - it appears to be a young adult male, based on the thick subpubic ramus, the robust mandible fragment, and the billowy texture of the pubic symphysis. However, much more analysis needs to be done before a substantial sex can be determined.


For July 22 & 23rd, unfortunately, I was sick and unable to make it up to the site. But, essentially, they closed up the units and did final drawings. Jose, the Peruvian University student who worked with Christina and I on the burial, continued to excavate it, as we did not finish when the project ended for us.