Paleomobility in the Tiwanaku Diaspora: Biogeochemical analyses at R io M uerto, M oquegua, P eru

A study of the Tiwanaku culture's expansion reveals that while most individuals at the Rio Muerto site in southern Peru were likely second-generation or later immigrants from the Tiwanaku heartland, a smaller subset originated from various regions within the Tiwanaku polity. Using radiogenic strontium and oxygen isotope analyses on human burials, researchers identified a range of geographic origins among the population, suggesting diversity in migration patterns rather than solely colonization from the Lake Titicaca Basin. The findings indicate that some individuals may have been first-generation migrants, marriage exchange partners, or occupationally mobile herders and traders, contributing to our understanding of state integration and expansion in ancient societies.

Knudson, K. J., Goldstein, P. S., Dahlstedt, A., Somerville, A., & Schoeninger, M. J. (2014). Paleomobility in the Tiwanaku Diaspora: Biogeochemical analyses at Rio Muerto, Moquegua, Peru. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 155(3), 405–421. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.22584