Chavin de Huántar articulated pins, Ancash, Peru

Abstract

Investigations conducted in a subterranean canal at the ceremonial center of Chavín de Huantar by the Programa de Investigación Arqueológica y Conservación Chavín de Huántar, led to the discovery of a set of bone artifacts, approximately composed of 87 pieces. These pieces are articulated pins, cut from a single piece of bone into three articulated sections: a long and thin needle, articulated with a chain of one, two, or three links, itself hinged with a distal part with a motive shape. The singularity and complexity of these objects can be appreciated with their interlocking links. The bone artifacts display an exceptionally high degree of technical delicacy. This article presents a preliminary study of the articulated bone pins, with the objective to offer a definition of the group and to present the morphometric and iconographic analyses. These studies emphasize the heterogeneity of the group and identify two subgroups within the set, which differ both by the morphology of the pieces, by their process of technical realization, and by the iconography they carry.