('wooden person', from Mapuche 'people' and 'wood') are Mapuche statues made of wood used to signal the grave of a deceased person.[1] [2]
The are carved wooden statues, usually more than tall, that represent the stylized body and head of a human being. Statues may have male or female features. The Mapuche used whole logs of either Nothofagus obliqua, a hardwood, or laurel for their .
The Mapuche made in pre-Columbian times in a manner similar to headstones. According to testimony in books, helped the deceased's soul reunite with its ancestors. This sculpture stood by the deceased during the funeral and was then erected over the grave.