Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

Cultures > Arid North > Alto Ramírez

Social organization

The presence of monuments, in the form of many large burial mounds, tells us something of the social life of the Alto Ramírez people. Building these complex structures would have required the participation of a group of people coordinated by a leader, which suggests some form of social distinction among members of the group. This idea seems to be reinforced by the presence of prestige goods such as objects used to inhale hallucinogenic substances, and the iconography found on certain items of clothing. The broad range of artifacts and the complex techniques that were used to manufacture them suggest a high degree of specialization of craftsmanship among the Alto Ramirez culture.