﻿Vol.2] 
  THE 
  ATACAMENO 
  — 
  BENNETT 
  609 
  

  

  credits 
  the 
  Atacameno 
  with 
  inspiring 
  the 
  Inca 
  in 
  their 
  architecture. 
  

   In 
  particular, 
  he 
  claims 
  that 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  windows 
  in 
  houses 
  was 
  an 
  

   Atacameno 
  invention, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  common 
  Quechua 
  word 
  tocco, 
  

   "window," 
  is 
  of 
  Atacameno 
  origin. 
  

  

  DRESS 
  AND 
  ORNAMENTS 
  

  

  Atacameno 
  dress 
  follows 
  the 
  standard 
  Andean 
  pattern. 
  The 
  men 
  

   probably 
  wore 
  breechclouts, 
  although 
  actual 
  specimens 
  are 
  rare 
  in 
  the 
  

   collections 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  some 
  from 
  the 
  Coast 
  sites 
  made 
  of 
  

   totora 
  fiber. 
  The 
  men 
  used 
  slit-necked 
  shirts, 
  both 
  with 
  and 
  without 
  

   sleeves, 
  secured 
  at 
  the 
  waist 
  with 
  a 
  belt. 
  A 
  poncholike 
  garment 
  was 
  

   also 
  worn. 
  The 
  women 
  wore 
  longer 
  shirtlike 
  garments, 
  and 
  belts 
  

   around 
  the 
  waist. 
  Both 
  sexes 
  used 
  flat 
  leather 
  sandals. 
  Headgear 
  

   consisted 
  of 
  velvet 
  caps, 
  basketry 
  hats, 
  and 
  hats 
  made 
  of 
  bird 
  or 
  

   animal 
  skins. 
  Other 
  garments 
  discovered 
  are 
  leather 
  shirts, 
  bird-skin 
  

   capes, 
  and 
  rough 
  woolen 
  blankets. 
  Ornaments 
  were 
  common, 
  inclu- 
  

   ding 
  pins, 
  rings, 
  bracelets, 
  earrings, 
  breast 
  plaques, 
  armlets, 
  beads, 
  and 
  

   pendants. 
  The 
  wooden 
  combs 
  described 
  under 
  " 
  Weaving" 
  may 
  well 
  

   have 
  been 
  used 
  as 
  ornaments 
  as 
  well. 
  Both 
  women 
  and 
  men 
  wore 
  

   their 
  hair 
  in 
  many 
  short 
  braids, 
  and 
  the 
  men 
  plucked 
  their 
  beards 
  with 
  

   metal 
  tweezers. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  paint 
  boxes 
  and 
  bags 
  would 
  suggest 
  

   that 
  body 
  painting 
  was 
  common. 
  

  

  GRAVES 
  AND 
  BURIALS 
  

  

  Graves. 
  — 
  Some 
  graves 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  various 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  villages 
  

   and 
  houses, 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  also 
  true 
  cemeteries, 
  usually 
  located 
  in 
  the 
  

   sands 
  along 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  valleys, 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  villages 
  and 
  

   away 
  from 
  the 
  cultivated 
  land. 
  Natural 
  rock 
  caves 
  were 
  also 
  utilized 
  

   for 
  burial 
  purposes 
  up 
  to 
  Inca 
  times. 
  In 
  the 
  Rio 
  Loa 
  region, 
  some 
  

   cemeteries 
  were 
  reserved 
  for 
  child 
  burials. 
  Although 
  this 
  is 
  suggestive 
  

   of 
  the 
  Diaguita 
  pattern, 
  the 
  burials 
  are 
  not 
  in 
  urns. 
  Even 
  at 
  La 
  Paya, 
  

   adjacent 
  to 
  the 
  Diaguita 
  area, 
  child 
  urn 
  burial 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  reported. 
  

  

  Various 
  types 
  of 
  graves 
  have 
  been 
  encountered 
  in 
  the 
  Atacameno 
  re- 
  

   gion. 
  The 
  simplest 
  and 
  the 
  most 
  characteristic 
  is 
  a 
  cylindrical 
  pit, 
  

   roofed 
  over 
  with 
  sticks 
  and 
  cane, 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  sand 
  and 
  dirt. 
  In 
  

   the 
  Rio 
  Loa 
  region, 
  the 
  pits 
  are 
  from 
  16 
  to 
  24 
  inches 
  (40 
  to 
  60 
  cm.) 
  in 
  

   diameter, 
  and 
  about 
  4% 
  feet 
  (l}£m.) 
  deep. 
  At 
  La 
  Paya, 
  the 
  graves 
  

   are 
  stone 
  lined 
  and 
  covered, 
  and 
  range 
  in 
  size 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  6 
  feet 
  (1 
  to 
  2 
  m.) 
  

   in 
  diameter 
  and 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  6 
  feet 
  (1 
  to 
  2 
  m.) 
  in 
  depth. 
  There 
  are 
  a 
  

   number 
  of 
  variants 
  of 
  this 
  simple 
  circular-pit 
  grave. 
  Chambers 
  may 
  

   be 
  cut 
  to 
  one 
  side, 
  producing 
  a 
  boot-shaped 
  profile 
  in 
  cross 
  section. 
  

   Likewise, 
  true 
  bottle-shaped 
  graves 
  are 
  found, 
  covered 
  with 
  stone 
  slabs. 
  

   Some 
  reports 
  describe 
  subterranean 
  chambers 
  entered 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  an 
  

   inclined 
  trench. 
  Platform 
  benches 
  on 
  which 
  mummies 
  were 
  set 
  were 
  

   arranged 
  around 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  the 
  chambers. 
  This 
  type 
  of 
  burial 
  

  

  