Operation 3
- Folder Type:
- Project
- Primary Title:
- Operation 3
- Summary Description:
- In 1992, Sanchez and Badilla observed features in the walls of two looter pits, which had been dug into a flatter area of the site on the southern side between the 16 m and 22 m contours. Since they had the appearence of burial fills, the archaeologists opened a 6 x 4.5 m test cut, exposing two funerary features (F.1 and F.2), cut into bedrock to different depths. Feature 1 proved to be a rounded rectangular grave (0.8 x 1m), which contained the remains of three individuals. Sanchez and Badilla christened it a Type A feature. The most intact individual (probably primary flexed) was an adult male whose remains were dislodged to one side when a subsequent cylindrical grave (F. 2) (feature type C) cut into it on the eastern side. During the next two years, excavations were expanded in order to expose more features and fine-tune stratigraphy. In 1993, a third funerary Type 3 feature was identified (F.16). This also cut through bedrock, and contained secondary ("package") burials. Feature 16 was intruded on two sides by two later pre-Columbian features (F. 15 and F. 23). These belonged to a group of 15 oval, stone-lined pits about 3 m long and 2 m wide, for which the term "stone-lined ovens" was applied in field notes (Type B features). Hence the graves stratified underneath these features were labelled "sub-oven graves". Stratified above the "ovens", several burials were located (primary flexed, primary extended and in urns). They were denominated Type Ch and E features in Sanchez (1995)and field notes. Many were damaged by recent looter activities. At the same level of these graves, fragments of a hardened clay floor were found (F. 70). The stratum above these "post-oven burials", was a pinkish leyer of clayey sediments called called the "intermediate zone" ("zona intermedia") in the field. Over the upper 2/3 of Operation 3, this was surmounted by a 30-50 cm layer of kitchen refuse, with abundant marine shell and vertebrate remains: the upper shell midden ("conchero superior").
- Note: Project Objectives
- To describe the location, contents and age of cultural features in a 228 sq m. excavation unit (Operation 3) at Cerro Juan Diaz
- Note: Supplemental Information
- Interments in F.2 were all secondary. The most intact represent individuals who were buried tightly wrapped, probably in some form of perishable container with the long bones to the side and other bones in the centre. Another intact grave (F.16), which was also cut through bedrock, contained several individuals buried in packets some of which were undone when the bodies were placed in the grave (probably the burial pit was used for redepositing burial packages from somewhere else on the site). This grave was used at least three times. F.16 had intruded upon an earlier grave (F.26) removing or displacing its contents. It was later disturbed by Features 15 to the east, and 23 to the west. These are examples stone-lined oval pits, to which the name "hornos" (ovens) was given in the field. Twelve pits were arranged in a circle with an external diamteer of ca 13 m and an internal diameter of ca 6.5 m. Three ovens (features 77, 86 and 88) were placed beyond the southern periphery of the circle. Feature 88 disturbed the north-western edge of Feature 94, a grave cut into bedrock that contained a primary flexed adult woman who disturbed an earlier burial in the same grave. Thus Feature 94 is "sub-oven." It is likely that the first circle of ovens intentionally enclosed two circular features (7 and 8), which were probably graves, although they had both been recently looted.
| PID | Type | Title | Metadata | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| si_2756903 | Operation 3 Floor Plan |
| Download | |
| si_2756905 |  | Rasgos Mortuorios |
| Download |
| si_2763014 | | Operation 3 Field Notes |
| Download |
| si_2764655 | | Operation 3 Excavation Report |
| Download |