CARACTERIZACIÓN QUÍMICA Y MINERALÓGICA DE LOS MATERIALES GRISES DE LOS CUERPOS CHINCHORRO MODELADOS CHEMICAL AND MINERAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GRAY SEDIMENTS USED TO MODEL CHINCHORRO BODIES

(13%), Fe 2 O 3 (7%) y, en menor proporcion, K 2 O (4%), CaO (3%), Cl (2%), SO 3 (1%), y TiO2 (1%). Los analisis obtenidos por DRX demostraron que la composicion mineralogica estaba constituida por cuarzo (30%), albita (26%), sanidina (15%) y moscovita (12%), entre otros. Estos resultados, en conjunto con los analisis experimentales ceramologicos y microscopicos, permiten concluir que las poblaciones Chinchorro utilizaban sedimentos naturales que pueden ser considerados como arcillas de buena a mediana calidad plastica para preparar sus Momias Negras y que no le agregaban inclusiones como conchuela o fibras vegetales. Palabras claves: momias Chinchorro negras, momificacion artificial, EDXRF, DRX, arcillas, norte de Chile. This paper presents the chemical and mineralogical characterization of inorganic gray sediments used by the Chinchorro people to make their black mummies or reconstructed bodies. Thirteen samples taken from an inner layer of the black mummies (ca 4,000-2,800 BC) were studied to determine its mineralogical composition, plastic quality and whether it contained clay. The samples were analyzed at the Laboratorio de Investigaciones Medioambientales de Zonas Aridas, LIMZA (CIHDE-Universidad de Tarapaca), using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and at the Laboratorio de Ciencias Geologicas de la Universidad del Norte, using X-ray diffraction and scanning electronic microscopy. In addition, experimental ceramic tests were undertaken at the Laboratorio de Conservacion del Museo Arqueologico de la Universidad de Tarapaca, Arica. EDXRF result indicates the gray material was composed primarily of SiO 2 (68%), Al 2 O 3 (13%), Fe 2 O 3 (7%) and to a lesser extent, K 2 O (4%), CaO (3%), Cl (2%), SO 3 (1%), and TiO 2 (1%). DRX analysis shows the mineralogical composition is quartz (30%), albite (26%), sanidine (15%) and muscovite (12%) among others. These results, along with the experimental ceramological testing and microscopy analyses, suggest that Chinchorro morticians used natural sediments that can be considered as medium to high quality clays to prepare the black mummies and did not add ground shells or grasses to the mixture.