Death in the Bolivian High Plateau: Burials and Tiwanaku Society

Oxbow says: Korpisaari's study examines central Andean mortuary practices and how these have been interpreted in terms of Tiwanaku society and in particular social hierarchies. Her research is based on previously excavated material and newly discovered burials at the cemetery of Tiraska, as well as examinations of written sources from the 16th and early 17th centuries, and ethnographic data on present day mortuary practices and social hierarchies. Her Conclusion addresses the problems and pitfalls encountered in interpreting the burial data, and includes a review of burial practices revealing patterns of regional differentiation, the possible presence of different ethnic groups and variability in mortuary beliefs and customs within the dataset.