The Chiribaya culture of southern Peru flourished in the fertile western valleys that stretch from Ilo to the coastal valleys of northern Chile. Several ancient Chiribaya mummies dating to 670–900 AD have been unearthed in recent times in parts of modern-day Chile.¹ The culture cultivated crops that were fertilised by guano, gathered from the territories of seabirds. 
The society’s farming, fishing and marine-gathering occupations were reflected in the grave goods that accompanied their dead.

The Chiribaya can be viewed as an offshoot of the Tiahuanaco culture that dominated other regions of southern Peru during the same period. Their taste in metalwork stems from the Tiahuanaco influence, and they created many tubular headdresses and pectorals in a similar style. As this crown exemplifies, the Chiribaya densely filled the surface of their objects with patterns. Here, the embossing forms lines and circles, along with more figurative and complex images of heads and felines.² Although the decoration is complex and confused, the heads can be identified by the distinctive semi-circular headdress that is a common motif in many ancient Peruvian cultures. Often figures wearing this distinguishing attire are important deities, commonly with a decapitation connotation, because the shape of the head piece 
is similar to that of the tumi or ritual knife. The crown has a stylised feather attached, which displays rather fluidly arranged embossed circles.

Along with metalwork, the Chiribaya were expert textile artists. They produced cloths with geometric designs using stripes, spiral and triangular elements that would subsequently be incorporated into the textile traditions of later cultures in the region. Their pottery also displayed geometric patterns in black, white and red.

Simeran Maxwell

1. The Chiribaya mummies have interested scholars of parasites, because of the early evidence they provide of extensive head lice and nit infestation. See Bernard Arriaza et al., ‘Severe head lice infestation in an Andean mummy of Arica, Chile’, The Journal of Parasitology, vol. 98, no. 2, April 2012, pp. 433–36.

2. Gabriela H. Schwörbel, ‘The forgers of metal’, in Victoria Mujica (ed.), Oro del Peru Museum, Lima: Fundación Miguel Mujica Gallo 2009, p. 128.

The Chiribaya culture of southern Peru flourished in the fertile western valleys that stretch from Ilo to the coastal valleys of northern Chile. Several ancient Chiribaya mummies dating to 670–900 AD have been unearthed in recent times in parts of modern-day Chile.¹ The culture cultivated crops that were fertilised by guano, gathered from the territories of seabirds. 
The society’s farming, fishing and marine-gathering occupations were reflected in the grave goods that accompanied their dead.

The Chiribaya can be viewed as an offshoot of the Tiahuanaco culture that dominated other regions of southern Peru during the same period. Their taste in metalwork stems from the Tiahuanaco influence, and they created many tubular headdresses and pectorals in a similar style. As this crown exemplifies, the Chiribaya densely filled the surface of their objects with patterns. Here, the embossing forms lines and circles, along with more figurative and complex images of heads and felines.² Although the decoration is complex and confused, the heads can be identified by the distinctive semi-circular headdress that is a common motif in many ancient Peruvian cultures. Often figures wearing this distinguishing attire are important deities, commonly with a decapitation connotation, because the shape of the head piece 
is similar to that of the tumi or ritual knife. The crown has a stylised feather attached, which displays rather fluidly arranged embossed circles.

Along with metalwork, the Chiribaya were expert textile artists. They produced cloths with geometric designs using stripes, spiral and triangular elements that would subsequently be incorporated into the textile traditions of later cultures in the region. Their pottery also displayed geometric patterns in black, white and red.

Simeran Maxwell

1. The Chiribaya mummies have interested scholars of parasites, because of the early evidence they provide of extensive head lice and nit infestation. See Bernard Arriaza et al., ‘Severe head lice infestation in an Andean mummy of Arica, Chile’, The Journal of Parasitology, vol. 98, no. 2, April 2012, pp. 433–36.

2. Gabriela H. Schwörbel, ‘The forgers of metal’, in Victoria Mujica (ed.), Oro del Peru Museum, Lima: Fundación Miguel Mujica Gallo 2009, p. 128.