Sedentism among the Archaic fisher-folk of northern Chile: A malacological perspective

Oxygen isotope analysis of shell material from the Camarones West Shell Midden and from the site of Quiani has revealed that year-round collection of shellfish for food by the people of the Chinchorro Culture was not practiced. Additional shell demographics from the site of Quiani further support the oxygen isotope results. Radiocarbon dating revealed that the midden sample spanned the Classic Chinchorro and Transitional Chinchorro epochs, from 5590 to 3830 B. P. Shell classification and quantification of these sites also revealed that shellfish collection and the types of shellfish harvested has been consistent from Chinchorro times to the present; This report is the first attempt to utilize oxygen isotope analysis in conjunction with shell middens in the Camarones River Delta to determine seasonality of resources and its relationship to sedentism. This finding may be important to future arguments for fully sedentary Chinchorro communities