A study of skeletal trauma, gender, and testimonio concerning the 1984 massacre at Putis, Ayacucho, Peru

Using feminist geography and forensic anthropology, my research examines how gender affected the death experiences of campesinos massacred by the Peruvian military at Putis, Ayacucho, Peru in 1984. I ask, is trauma from the massacre distributed differently according to gender, and do relatives' testimonios corroborate forensic information? I examine injury distribution described in the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team's (EPAF) forensic analysis reports on massacre victims exhumed in 2008. I also analyze four testimonios about Putis gathered by the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR). Forensic trauma mirrors trends from other internal armed conflicts and suggest killers targeted female sexuality. The testimonios contain little forensic detail to corroborate the forensic analysis reports. Future research can explore why gendered patterns of trauma recur across different social contexts. I recommend future truth commissions strive toward greater integration of methods and objectives, and account for possible exhumations when interviewing relatives of the dead. --Leaf ii.