202557(en)/21 - The Gonzalo Domínguez Collection and the Archaeology of the Atacama Coast, Northern Chile

Gloria Cabello Baettig, Benjamín Ballester Riesco and Javiera Oróstica Plaza

The article examines a portion of the Gonzalo Domínguez Vieytes collection, originating from the Punta Nunwick cemetery site, located in the Bahía Salado sector, Atacama region, in northern Chile. The archaeological site was excavated by Domínguez between 1966 and 1970. Through the analysis of artifacts, documents, photographs, oral accounts, and fieldwork, we offer a new perspective on how past populations inhabited these territories. It is a perspective that complements the scarce and fragmented information upon which the prehistory of this area–highly impacted by looting activities–has been constructed. Finally, we reflect on the potential of archaeological collections to contribute to our understanding of the past. This “archaeology of archaeology” allows us to bring unpublished contexts to light, question existing chronological and cultural classifications, and consider how knowledge is constructed within this discipline.

Continue Reading - PDF