Network analysis in Tairona chiefdoms of the Río Frío basin, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia

Abstract

This article analyzes the interaction networks in the Tairona chiefdom communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, to investigate settlement patterns and the scales of socioeconomic integration over time. Employing network analysis on the technological and typological attributes of ceramic artifact assemblages from pre-Hispanic settlements within a 40-square-kilometer area of the Regional Archaeology Program of the Río Frío basin (currently ongoing), we modeled patterns of social interaction and economic integration. The results reveal varying degrees of economic integration among settlements, with certain sites playing central roles in the distribution of ceramic goods and coordination of economic activities. These findings underscore the importance of specific settlements in driving social centralization and offer a pioneering perspective on the development of complex societies in northern South America.