Análisis de enterramientos infantiles del periodo de desarrollo regional en la costa de Ecuador

Abstract

CONDITION FOR PUBLICATION OF PROJECT. study focuses on infant burial patterns during the Regional Development period (500 BC–500 AD) on the coast of Ecuador, with the aim of identifying the arrangement of bodies, types of burials, grave goods, and evaluating pathologies and causes of infant mortality to compare similarities and differences between the societies analyzed. The starting point is the hypothesis that childhood played a significant social role, reflected in burial practices, and justified by the need to make this age group visible in archaeological studies. The research was carried out through a review of the literature and analysis of available archaeological and bioarchaeological reports, organized into comparative matrices, statistical graphs, and multivariate analysis. The results showed a predominance of primary burials (74%) over secondary and multiple burials, as well as a higher frequency of offerings associated with newborns compared to infants aged 2 to 12 years. In addition, pathologies linked to malnutrition were recorded as one of the main causes of death. It is concluded that children were not marginal subjects, but rather relevant actors within the symbolic and social practices of the communities of Regional Development. Keywords: Childhood, funeral practices, infant mortality, and pre-Hispanic societies.