Abstract

This paper analyzes the results ofan archaeological investigation of theAnt & uuml;kura site at Bahia Coique, in southern Chile, which hosts the only lithic solar calendar documented till now in Mapuche territory. Thermoluminescence (TL) dating of ceramic fragments provides a date of occupation between AD 1210 and 1525. Through the study of its calendrical and ceremonial functions, we discuss the antiquity of the current patterns of spatiotemporal organization in Mapuche culture, configured from common principles among the cultures of the centralAndean region.