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Preliminary report on archaeological research in tafí del valle
... 360 A.C -1500 AD) y la segunda del Tardío (ca. 1000-1490 AD) (González & Núñez Regueiro, 1960). Con posterioridad, existen evidencias de materiales incaicos ca. ...
... Los asentamientos más tempranos conocidos en la zona pertenecen al Período Temprano, ca.1000 AC -1000 AD. Este grupo fue identificado inicialmente por unas particulares esculturas líticas (monolitos y máscaras de piedra) (Ambrosetti, 1897); patrón de asentamiento compuesto de estructuras de piedra aisladas o habitaciones circulares alrededor de un patio central, en número variable y en ocasiones formando complejos (Sampietro Vattuone, 2010); estructuras agrícolas (González & Núñez Regueiro, 1960); y ceremoniales (montículo vinculado a monolitos de piedra localizado en el sitio arqueológico de Casas Viejas, El Mollar) (González & Núñez Regueiro, 1960). Teniendo en cuenta su cronología, los asentamientos comenzaron alrededor del siglo IV AC y culminaron hacia el siglo X AD (González & Núñez Regueiro, 1960;Roldán et al., 2016). ...
... Los asentamientos más tempranos conocidos en la zona pertenecen al Período Temprano, ca.1000 AC -1000 AD. Este grupo fue identificado inicialmente por unas particulares esculturas líticas (monolitos y máscaras de piedra) (Ambrosetti, 1897); patrón de asentamiento compuesto de estructuras de piedra aisladas o habitaciones circulares alrededor de un patio central, en número variable y en ocasiones formando complejos (Sampietro Vattuone, 2010); estructuras agrícolas (González & Núñez Regueiro, 1960); y ceremoniales (montículo vinculado a monolitos de piedra localizado en el sitio arqueológico de Casas Viejas, El Mollar) (González & Núñez Regueiro, 1960). Teniendo en cuenta su cronología, los asentamientos comenzaron alrededor del siglo IV AC y culminaron hacia el siglo X AD (González & Núñez Regueiro, 1960;Roldán et al., 2016). ...
El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar los efectos a largo plazo producidos por las ocupaciones prehispánicas agroalfareras del valle de Tafí, Noroeste Argentino, realizando una síntesis de los procesos degradativos generados por tales poblaciones y su repercusión en la configuración actual del paisaje desde una perspectiva geoarqueológica, integrando información de otros valles áridos de la región. La principal manifestación de este fenómeno degradativo ha quedado registrada en los depósitos de la unidad morfoestratigráfica H2 depositada entre ca. 4200 y 600 años AP en los fondos de los valles y que alcanza enormes dimensiones. Su registro estratigráfico contiene rasgos materiales de las ocupaciones humanas prehispánicas de índole primaria y secundaria. El deterioro ambiental se evidencia en primer lugar en los procesos de morfogénesis acelerada, duplicándose prácticamente las tasas de sedimentación a partir del asentamiento de las comunidades agropastoriles en la zona (alrededor del 2200 AP), pasando de 1-1,7 m/1000 años a 2,5-3 m/1000 años. Al mismo tiempo, otra pauta de degradación general del valle se aprecia en el deterioro de los paleosuelos (hoy enterrados) en las zonas agrícolas prehispánicas, donde se registra erosión parcial o total de los horizontes superficiales (2A) y pérdida de materiales finos (fracción limo especialmente) así como alteraciones químicas.
... Su tamaño y disposición en un contexto libre de otras estructuras lo hacen ampliamente visible. Las similitudes con el montículo "El Mollar" (González, 1955;González y Núñez Regueiro, 1960) permiten proponer allí la realización de prácticas comunitarias, 7 lo cual deberá corroborarse mediante la realización de excavaciones futuras. A pocos metros del lugar se registraron 10 unidades residenciales tipo 3 (Berberián y Nielsen, 1988 Las formas arquitectónicas de las viviendas y los campos de cultivo se condicen en sus características con las registradas para el primer milenio (Franco Salvi, 2012). ...
... Resulta válido señalar que el uso de estos "refugios" durante períodos vinculados a las actividades agrícolas ya se registra en el primer milenio al sur del valle de Tafí (Berberián, 1994). En proximidad a un montículo de uso ritual (González, 1960;González y Núñez Regueiro 1960), se excavó un despedre de cultivo que contenía un pequeño recinto asociado y un deflector de aire dispuesto de forma oblicua junto al acceso. Allí, Berberián y su equipo registraron restos de lo que habría sido un puesto de uso temporal durante los períodos especiales de producción. ...
... Resulta válido señalar que el uso de estos "refugios" durante períodos vinculados a las actividades agrícolas ya se registra en el primer milenio al sur del valle de Tafí (Berberián, 1994). En proximidad a un montículo de uso ritual (González, 1960;González y Núñez Regueiro 1960), se excavó un despedre de cultivo que contenía un pequeño recinto asociado y un deflector de aire dispuesto de forma oblicua junto al acceso. Allí, Berberián y su equipo registraron restos de lo que habría sido un puesto de uso temporal durante los períodos especiales de producción. ...
This paper proposes to discuss the results of archaeological research carried out in the northern sector of the Tafi valley, specifically focusing on evidences corresponding to the first half of the Second Millennium of the Christian Age. During this period, the agrarian landscape is segregating of household area which has generated several explanations in the archaeological literature of the Northwest Argentina. We came to the preliminary conclusion that the valley acquires a spatial logic, typical of this period in the region, but would not have been caused by factors that traditional archaeology usually attribute, this are population pressure, conflict or environmental changes.
... The classifications of Woodroffe et al. (1988) were adapted by Roberts (1991), who also incorporated the terminologies and descriptions used by other midden researchers (e.g. Cribb 1986, Meehan 1982, Beaton 1985. In his research of the Millingimbi shell middens, also of the Northern Territory, he proposed five different forms of shell middens in the area (Roberts 1991:101-102): mudflat mounds, midden (dune) mounds, conical shell heaps, base site mounds and midden scatters. ...
... The rise and proliferation of mangrove gastropod dominated midden sites (e.g. Cribb 1986, Woodroffe et al. 1988, Przywolnik 2005, Clune and Harrison 2009) is attributed to the stabilisation of sea levels and a more humid climate, facilitating mangrove propagation which supported populations of these molluscs (Jennings 1975, Semeniuk 1982, Woodroffe et al. 1985. This was followed by a substantial reduction or loss of mangrove environments, as climatic variability tending towards increasing aridity could not support extensive mangrove stands and the faunal communities associated with this ecology (Chappell and Grindrod 1984, Woodroffe et al 1985, Shulmeister 1999. ...
... The transition from one species dominance to another is well noted for certain taxa in Holocene midden deposits; the transition from mangrove associated Terebralia sp. and Telescopium sp. to bivalves as a result of mangrove ecosystems decreasing in prominence through the mid Holocene for example (e.g. Schrire 1982, Kendrick and Morse, 1982, Woodroffe et al. 1985, O'Connor 1999, Przywolnik 2005, see also Cribb 1986). M. hiantina to T. granosa dominance shifts in the late Holocene however, is less well acknowledged. ...
The archaeological record is a time-averaged palimpsest of material variably influenced by post-depositional processes. The aim of archaeology is to elucidate and inform on past human behaviour, however, the palimpsest nature of the archaeological record limits the potential for events on the scale of the individual and day-to-day life to be preserved. While some perceive this lack of temporal resolution as a hindrance, it rather presents an opportunity to investigate environmental and behavioural processes at a larger, broader scale. The delimiting and constraining of palimpsests to access this spectrum of temporal scales poses methodological and conceptual complications. It is this challenge that forms the focus of this thesis.
Shell middens, in many ways, magnify the effects of the palimpsest nature of the archaeological record through aspects such as their porosity and frequent lack of clearly visible stratigraphic differentiation. Complex and variable formation processes blur the spatial and temporal relationships of the material contained within a midden deposit. The vertical displacement of midden shell, the time-averaging of previously temporally distinct layers, as well as the muddying of the depositional patterning behind midden formation are all issues that complicate behavioural and palaeoenvironmental interpretations. The midden within the Brremangurey rockshelter, located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia’s far north, embodies this conundrum. During excavation and analysis of the midden, clues were identified that pointed towards a far more complex formation and transformation history than initially thought. Precisely to what extent, though, would be problematic to determine using conventional techniques.
The typical approach to refining the formation processes of shell middens relies on radiocarbon dating. Greater number of samples provide enhanced resolution, but at a considerable cost. Amino acid racemisation (AAR) is a low-cost relative dating technique that has not been widely incorporated into archaeological investigation. In the context of shell midden archaeology, the potential of AAR in resolving issues of site formation and transformation comes from the ability to analyse a large number of samples to establish a high resolution relative chronological sequence of a midden deposit. Recent refinements to the AAR method improve the technique’s accuracy and precision, making it more amenable to the temporal scales at play within these specific archaeological contexts. To test the applicability of this novel use of AAR, this approach was applied to the material excavated from the Brremangurey rockshelter.
The use of AAR dating to establish a high resolution relative chronology of the Brremangurey midden deposit managed to address a range of problems commonly encountered in shell midden archaeology. The temporality and spatial origins of vertically displaced shell could be recognised allowing the integration of ex situ material to the archaeological interpretations. A time-averaged layer was disentangled, and the relative contributions of each phase of deposition to be identified, adding more detail to the formation history of the midden deposit. Most importantly, the application of AAR and ‘Temporal Packaging’ presented a detailed picture of the depositional patterning of the Brremangurey midden deposit.
A complicating aspect of the archaeological record is that the scales of temporal resolution recorded within a palimpsest are hidden. This denies the investigator the opportunity to appropriately adjust their scale of investigation to the scale of evidence the archaeological record can support. Not only were AAR and Temporal Packaging able to refine the chronology of a midden deposit, but also allowed the previously inaccessible temporal resolution contained within a deposit to be defined.
... Due to their technical development, small groups of people were sustained in early village settlements (Olivera, 2001). The most conspicuous settlements of Tafí Valley were characterized and named " Tafí culture " by González and Nuñez Regueiro (1960). There were some important cultural changes after the collapse of this culture. ...
... Tafí settlements were recognized as an early socio-cultural entity from northwestern Argentina, (Ambrosetti, 1897; Lafone Quevedo, 1902; Bennett et al., 1948). A clear definition of Tafí settlements as " Tafí culture " was made in the 1960s, after the first systematic archaeological digs were made (González and Nuñez Regueiro, 1960). The archaeological record helped define this culture through its lithic sculptures (menhirs and stone masks), settlement pattern (circular stone enclosures isolated or associated around a central patio forming residential units, in some cases these residential units are agglomerated forming villages), agricultural structures, and a ceremonial mound (Casas Viejas archaeological site — El Mollar) (Berberián et al., 1988; Tartusi and Nuñez Regueiro, 1993; Sampietro Vattuone, 1994). ...
... Even though there was climatic variability in each region, each human group took unique adaptive decisions in response to similar environmental conditions. The first agricultural populations appeared in the Argentinean Meridional Puna (3000–2500 BP) (Olivera et al., 2004) as well as in Tafí Valley (2300–1100 BP) (González and Nuñez Regueiro, 1960; Berberián et al., 1988). This period was paleoenvironmentally characterized by the presence of wetter and warmer conditions than today (Sampietro Vattuone, 1999; Tchilinguirian and Olivera, 2000; Olivera et al., 2004). ...
Our study area is from an early agricultural archaeological site named "El Tolar" (1st to 9th century AD), located in Tafí Valley (Tucumán, northwest Argentina). The objective was to identify geochemical signatures generated by the sustained agrarian use of soils. Chemical and pedological studies were made in different archaeological contexts. Physical and chemical features, such as bulk density, pH, organic and inorganic phosphorus, and available copper, manganese and iron, were taken into account. The results suggested that a buried paleosol identified was contemporary with the occupation of the site. It also showed characteristics clearly related to pre-Hispanic agrarian production. The concentrations of organic phosphorus and iron in agricultural soils probably reflect the use of fertilizers. The application of geoscience techniques allowed us to obtain important information on their behaviour and socio-economic development. This paper constitutes the first pedogeochemical approach to the study of Argentinean pre-Hispanic agricultural soils.
... Due to their technical development, small groups of people were sustained in early village settlements ( Olivera, 2001). The most conspicuous settlements of Tafí Valley were characterized and named "Tafí culture" by González and Nuñez Regueiro (1960). There were some important cultural changes after the collapse of this culture. ...
... Tafí settlements were recognized as an early socio-cultural entity from northwestern Argentina, ( Ambrosetti, 1897;Lafone Quevedo, 1902;Bennett et al., 1948). A clear definition of Tafí settlements as "Tafí culture" was made in the 1960s, after the first systematic archaeological digs were made ( González and Nuñez Regueiro, 1960). The archaeological record helped define this culture through its lithic sculptures (menhirs and stone masks), settlement pattern (circular stone enclosures isolated or associated around a central patio forming residential units, in some cases these residential units are agglomerated forming villages), agricultural structures, and a ceremonial mound (Casas Viejas archaeological site-El Mollar) ( Berberián et al., 1988;Tartusi and Nuñez Regueiro, 1993;Sampietro Vattuone, 1994). ...
... Even though there was climatic variability in each region, each human group took unique adaptive decisions in response to similar environmental conditions. The first agricultural populations appeared in the Argentinean Meridional Puna (3000-2500 BP) ( Olivera et al., 2004) as well as in Tafí Valley (2300-1100 BP) ( González and Nuñez Regueiro, 1960;Berberián et al., 1988). This period was paleoenvironmentally characterized by the presence of wetter and warmer conditions than today ( Sampietro Vattuone, 1999;Tchilinguirian and Olivera, 2000;Olivera et al., 2004). ...
Our study area is from an early agricultural archaeological site named “El Tolar” (1st to 9th century AD), located in Tafí Valley (Tucumán, northwest Argentina). The objective was to identify geochemical signatures generated by the sustained agrarian use of soils. Chemical and pedological studies were made in different archaeological contexts. Physical and chemical features, such as bulk density, pH, organic and inorganic phosphorus, and available copper, manganese and iron, were taken into account. The results suggested that a buried paleosol identified was contemporary with the occupation of the site. It also showed characteristics clearly related to pre-Hispanic agrarian production. The concentrations of organic phosphorus and iron in agricultural soils probably reflect the use of fertilizers. The application of geoscience techniques allowed us to obtain important information on their behaviour and socio-economic development. This paper constitutes the first pedogeochemical approach to the study of Argentinean pre-Hispanic agricultural soils.
... Each of these units was separated from the others by several meters (González, 1962(González, , 1980. Based on macroscopic artifacts, González and Núñez Regueiro (1960) established that the big central circles were places of daily domestic activities, such as milling, and also the place where the dead were buried. The small circles were rooms whose walls sometimes reached heights of more than 2 m ( González and Núñez Regueiro, 1960). ...
... Houses were isolated and permanently occupied, with a dispersed settlement pattern. There is little evidence of centralization or specialization with the exception of the menhirs, agricultural terraces ( Berberián et al., 1988;Sampietro and Sayago, 1998;Sampietro, 2002), and a small ceremonial mound found in the valley ( González and Núñez Regueiro, 1960). ...
... It is noteworthy that funeral offerings were found only in C3. These cists are similar to those found in other houses in the study area ( González and Núñez Regueiro, 1960;Berberián et al., 1988;Núñez Regueiro and Esparrica, in press). ...
This paper analyzes the spatial pattern of landscapes and domestic unit activity areas at an archaeological site in northwest Argentina. The site is on a cone glacis in the Tafí Valley on the east side of Aconquija Mountain. The archaeological structures are associated with one of the earliest permanent villages of the region and date to the Formative Period of the Tafí culture (2296 ± 70 yr B.P. to 1140 ± 50 yr B.P.). Using photointerpretation, we distinguished two main structure types: agricultural structures, such as stone terraces, and circular houses. Statistical analysis of the different types of circular structures indicates that simple units had a uniform distribution, which reflects the main function of the area. The patio of one unit was excavated, and three burial cists were found under a Formative Period floor. Archaeological artifacts, together with 107 soil samples from the floor, were collected to establish activity areas within the domestic space. By analyzing soil chemistry (pH, calcium, organic and inorganic phosphorous) and ceramic and animal bone distributions, three major activity areas (animal processing, plant storage, and burials) were identified. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
... Prior to the work of the Swedish geologist Johan Gunnar Andersson in the early 20th century, very little was known about the Chinese Neolithic, and Northwest China had not yet been explored archaeologically. When he encountered high-quality painted pottery during his work in Henan, European archaeologists suggested to him that these were the outcome of migration from Eastern Europe (Andersson, 1925;Fiskesjö and Chen, 2004). During work conducted in 1923-1924, Andersson discovered a large number of settlement and grave sites characterized by hitherto unknown types of pottery. ...
... The Siwa archaeological culture was defined by Andersson based on the ceramics found in graves at Siwashan in Lintao County, most striking among them double-handled jars with saddleshaped openings ( Figure 2) that came to be seen as characteristic for Siwa (Andersson, 1925). Andersson assigned them to the fifth culture phase in his six period prehistoric sequence of the region (Andersson, 1943: 179-185). ...
Over the past two decades, environmental studies in research on prehistoric China have been gaining popularity and importance. For Northwest China
in particular, climate change, especially the so-called ~4.2k BP event has been seen as the main reason for an alleged collapse of Late Neolithic societies
and a transition to pastoral-heavy economies and mobile lifeways. Yet, these explanatory models tend to rely on limited archaeological and environmental
data and non-contemporaneous historical data, resulting in simplistic causal relationships between environmental changes and social response. This paper
re-evaluates the Incipient Bronze Age in China’s Northwestern region, discussing evidence for climate change and its exact dates, as well as textual and
archaeological evidence. We argue that the old narratives perpetuating the image of a dichotomy between Steppe and Sown are inaccurate, while largescale
models of region-wide subsistence change in response to climate cooling tend to disregard local developments and group-specific responses as
well as chronological issues. Focusing on the Xindian and Siwa archaeological phenomena, this paper provides a view into sub-regional responses to this
climate event, warning against simplistic broad-brush reconstructions and calling for both a return to archaeological fundamentals and large-scale intensive
fieldwork and interdisciplinary studies involving archaeologists, paleobotanists, zooarchaeologists, isotope specialists, and climate scientists.
... Y estas tres designaciones de cerros, dado su final "hao" o "ao", nos indican que en ellos hubo antes tres pueblos o parcialidades indígenas…" (Lizondo Borda 1938, p. 20). xxxiii Ver, por ejemplo, lo descripto por González & Núñez Regueiro (1960), Manasse et al. (2001) y Salazar & Franco Salvi (2015). xxxiv Cf. ...
En este artículo nos proponemos exponer una mirada del “pasado – presente” de la gente nativa del Valle de Tafí en la provincia de Tucumán. Lo abordaremos desde la arqueología, de la mano de los saberes de la población indígena trazando una historia que, partiendo de los datos científicos más antiguos que disponemos, llega a la actualidad en sus intereses, sus urgencias y sus luchas. Dos ejes concentran nuestra atención: el Valle como territorio ancestral y la continuidad histórica de su uso y percepción como tal. Las Comunidades Indígenas de Tafí encuentran en la arqueología una herramienta de colonización, pero también de reconciliación, reconocimiento y lucha. En un ir y venir de intereses y conocimientos venimos trabajando en una práctica que se articule con ellos y se configure en nuevos sentidos “otros”.
... Between 2200 BP and 1200 BP, Formative period farmers and herders lived, farmed, and built house clusters in scattered locations along alluvial fans in Tafí valley (Berberián & Nielsen, 1988;González & Núñez Regueiro, 1960;Oliszewski 2017;Sampietro Vattuone & Vattuone, 2005). The archaeological households are composed of stone walled house clusters, often multiple crop growing structures and camelid handling enclosures. ...
... The earliest human settlements in the valley are from the Formative Period (Tafí Culture, 2296 ± 70 BP-1040 ± 20 BP) (González and Núñez Regueiro, 1960;Roldán et al., 2016), when sedentary settlements having a farming economy and egalitarian organization were established (Sampietro Vattuone, 2010). Later settlements from the Regional Developments Period were identified (Santa María Culture, ca. ...
The hazards caused by ravine (quebradas) geomorphological dynamics as consequence of major hydrological events in mountainous areas of Northwest Argentina are little studied. The scarce records for rainfall and river flow are the main limitations. This work provides information about the dynamic functioning of the Blanquito River, located in the Tafí valley (Tucumán province). Starting from a documented flood that occurred in 1987, a geomorphological map was performed by combining images from 1987 to 2016. Field survey, cross-sections of the river course, profile descriptions, radiocarbon datings, and drone surveys were also made to complement map information. The 1987 flooded area was determined estimating the area covered by debris flow deposits. The relatively few mitigation works are also evaluated. Some infrastructures were damaged in the 1987 flood – such the bridge over 307 Provincial Road, however it is still in use. Urban growth has been substantial and unplanned over the last 30 years and many obstacles were detected in the river course across the town center. Despite the lack of quantitative data with good temporal resolution, a flood hazard map was made that gathers information about several critical points. These locations are susceptible to overflows with different probabilities of occurrence. Finally, mitigation measures are proposed.
... m 2 ). The largest of these is a square plank house at the southern end of the front terrace that was excavated by the NCPP and dated to the 1830s (Inglis 1971). This house is anomalous in terms of size and position compared to the other depressions, which are smaller, more rectangular, and aligned in rows. ...
Methodological advancements in geoarchaeology and spatial and chronological modeling are opening new avenues to interpreting large coastal shell-bearing sites. We document the developmental histories of two such sites around Prince Rupert Harbour, Canada, using systematic percussion coring, intensive radiocarbon dating, and 3D surface mapping with Total Station and LiDAR. We also re-analyze a third site (Boardwalk/GbTo-31) excavated and radiocarbon dated in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 2000s using archival field notes, site maps, and stratigraphic profiles georectified using LiDAR. We map the natural landform beneath the sites and document the degree to which people physically modified landforms through the deposition of massive shell accumulations. We model site development through time and space and use accumulation rates and OxCal modeling to test for intentional deposition events. All three sites demonstrate complex and heterogeneous occupation histories. At each we identify instances of very rapid deposition that effectively terraced and extended parts of the natural landform to create places for constructing houses, though these episodes take place within longer histories of slower quotidian deposition. The anthropogenic modifications to the coastline in this area are the result of these mixed processes associated with long histories of occupation.
... To date, Quaternary studies have focused on general geomorphological analyses and a general overview of loess deposits, together with some scattered datings of paleoenvironmental events that are incorporated into this research ( Sayago et al., 1991Sayago et al., , 1998Collantes and Sayago, 1987;Sayago, 1999;Collantes, 2001Collantes, , 2007Peña-Monné and Sampietro-Vattuone, 2014). The earliest human settlements in the valley are from the Formative Period (Tafí Culture, 2296 ± 70 BP-1040 ± 20 BP) ( González and Núñez Regueiro, 1960;Roldán et al., 2016), when sedentary settlements with an agropastoral economy and egalitarian organisation were established ( Sampietro Vattuone, 2010). Settlements from the Regional Developments Period were identified (Santa María Culture, ca. ...
Available online xxxx This paper studies the changes in the geomorphological dynamics recorded in 18 ephemeral streams located on the east side of Loma Pelada (Tafi Valley), a part of the Sierras Subandinas (Northwest Argentina). The applied methodology is based on photointerpretation, field survey, and descriptions of the Holocene alluvial fillings dated by tephras, archaeological artefacts, and absolute datings. The records show a coupled system of slope-terrace -alluvial fans resulting from the environmental changes of four alternating aggradation/degradation stages. The oldest stage (1) was generated by climatic causes and covers Early to Mid-Holocene (ca. 13,000–10,000 BP to ca. 4200 BP). After the incision of these accumulations, a new aggradation stage (2) was triggered by anthro-pogenic activity occurring from right before 2500 BP to the 15th century. During that time human occupations of the Tafí Valley were intense. Two wetter events occurred around 4200 and 2800 BP in the area, related to global cooling phases. Lastly, two more recent phases (3 and 4) are associated with the climatic variability of the LIA and the Present Warm Period. The results highlight the sensitivity of headwater catchments of dry subtropical mountainous areas to climate changes, anthropogenic impact, and their relationship with global climatic data.
... El Tolar is specifically associated with the Tafí culture, dated between 2,296 ± 70 years BP (González 1962) and 1,140 ± 50 yr BP (Berberián et al. 1988). The archaeological culture is primarily defined by settlement patterns, agricultural activity, and stone sculpture (Bennett et al. 1948;Berberián et al. 1988;González 1962González , 1977González and Núñez Regueiro 1960). Settlement patterns and associated landscape features suggest that both cultivated plants and domesticated animals comprised a significant component of the local subsistence economy (Sampietro 2002;Sampietro and Vattuone 2005). ...
Landscapes represent a dynamic point of articulation between humans and the environment. While often dichotomized, humans are active participants in the environment and often play a pivotal role in its transformation over time. In this paper, we use case studies from western South America and Australia to illustrate the importance of studying long-term dynamics between humans and the environment. Such investigations can bring significant historical depth to environmental change and the role humans have played in altering courses of landscape evolution and species biodiversity. Humans comprise a critical element in environmental change, and collectively, our results hold strong implications for issues related to sustainability and effective management of our planet's desert resources.
... El período Tardío (900 AD-1.480 AD) se caracteriza por una arquitectura de estructuras rectangulares deprimidas conocidas como " casas-pozo " (González y Núñez Regueiro 1960). La alfarería típica para estos momentos es conocida como Santa María (o Santamariana), definida a partir de piezas de forma cerrada (urnas) y abierta (pucos), con decoración en dos colores (negro sobre blanco) o tres (negro y rojo / blanco), diseños geométricos y figurativos, principalmente con representación antropomorfa de la cara (Perrota y Podestá 1978; Weber 1978). ...
A central issue in analyzing the dynamics of pre-Hispanic societies is their ability to produce the goods they consume, in this case, the pottery they used in their daily activities be they domestic or symbolic/ritual nature. One of the first stages of a program of archaeology study focused on such issues u involves identifying potential clay sources, a primary resource in ceramic manufacturing, and its compositional affinity with archaeological fragments. In this paper we present the results of a Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) conducted on 54 samples from the Tafi Valley in northwestern Argentina. Of these, 50 are archaeological fragments assigned to the Late and Inca Periods within the local regional chronology, while four are clay samples from across the valley. The multi-elemental affinity of sample compositions supports an interpretation of local pottery manufacturing, although the conclusions are tempered by the small sample in this initial study.
... El patrón de asentamiento típico se caracteriza por unidades habitacionales circulares de piedra, compuestas y nucleadas alrededor de un patio central, vinculadas a veces a estructuras de andenería. Estos grupos prehispánicos se caracterizan también por un notable manejo de la escultura en piedra, destacándose los ya conocidos menhires (González y Núñez Regueiro, 1960;González, 1963y Berberián y Nielsen, 1988. Sin embargo, nuevos trabajos arqueológicos, especialmente en la zona de El Infiernillo, han aportado nuevas cronologías en cuanto a los inicios de la ocupación prehispánica de Tafí, ubicándose ca. ...
Los paleoambientes y los procesos culturales en el Noroeste Argentino: una aproximación desde la arqueología de Tucumán Resumen — El trabajo analiza las relaciones existentes entre ocupación humana y los cambios paleoambientales para los últimos 10.000 años en un área representativa del desar-rollo cultural prehispánico del noroeste argentino, específicamente para el territorio de la provincia de Tucumán. Se realiza una revisión actualizada y una síntesis de los conocimientos acerca del ambiente en el pasado geológico reciente (Holoceno Medio-Holoceno Tardío) para la cuenca Tapia-Trancas y los valles intermontanos de Tafí y Santa María. Asimismo, se brin-dan nuevos datos y fechados radiocarbónicos asociados a la determinación de momentos de cambios paleoambientales para el valle de Santa María. Además, se propone por primera vez, la utilización del análisis de los cambios en la iconografía prehispánica como un indicador complementario de los procesos ambientales del pasado. Palabras clave: Paleoambiente, Iconografía prehispánica, Noroeste argentino. Abstract — " The paleoenvironments and the cultural processes in Northwest Argentina: an approach from the archeology of Tucumán ". The paper presents a summary of the relationships between human occupation and changes on environmental conditions for the last 10.000 years in a representative area of the cultural prehispanic development in Northwest Argentina, specifically for the Tucumán Province territory. An updated review and synthesis of current knowledge about the environment in the recent past (Middle-Late Holocene) for the Tapia-Trancas basin and the Tafí and Santa Maria intermountain valleys is presented; as well as new radiocarbon dates linked to palaeoenvironmental changes for the Santa María valley. We also propose, for the first time, the use of prehispanic iconography change analysis as a complementary indicator of past environmental processes.
... Esta entidad sociocultural fue caracterizada a partir de su escultórica lítica, representada por los menhires y máscaras de piedra; patrón de asentamiento compuesto por estructuras circulares de piedra aisladas o adosadas a un patio central, en un número variable, que ocasionalmente formaban conjuntos más complejos; estructuras agrícolas, que comprendían canchones y/o andenes de cultivo; y un centro ceremonial constituido por un montículo asociado a menhires en el sitio Casas Viejas (El Mollar) (Berberián et al. 1988, Sampietro Vattuone 1994, 2002 y Tartusi y Nuñez Regueiro 1993). Ésta cultura abarca un lapso temporal prolongado (Berberián et al. 1988, González y Nuñez Regueiro 1960, González 1965 y Sampietro Vattuone 1999), lo que llevó a cambios tecnológicos y económicos durante su existencia, por ello se la dividió en dos etapas culturales denominadas Tafí I o La Angostura (siglos I al IV d.C.) y Tafí II o Carapunco (siglos VII al X d.C.) (Nuñez Regueiro y Azcárate 1996). Los recintos tienen aspecto predominantemente circular, pueden formar estructuras complejas, compuestas, dobles o simples. ...
The aim of this paper was the functional and cultural characterization of formative prehispanic archaeological structures from El Potrerillo (Tafí del valle-Tucumán-Argentina) through soil pedogeochemistry and landscape geomorphological analysis. The morfodynamic and archaeological structures were registered using photo interpretation. Seven holes were dug considering different contextual situations, the soils horizons and their components were descript and samples were taken for laboratory analysis where organic phosphorous concentration, organic matter percentage, macronutrients (available phosphorous and calcium) and micronutrients (available iron, manganese and cupper) were measure. As results, two kind of formative archaeological structures were recognized: residential, shown in material objects (plant designs, pottery fragments and ashes and carbon rests) and agricultural, established by the presence of terracing archaeological structures. The lost of superficial horizon 2A and the increment in organic phosphorous concentration tell us about the lack of conservational prehispanic agricultural practices in the area.
... El Tolar is specifically associated with the Tafí culture, dated between 2,296 ± 70 years BP (González 1962) and 1,140 ± 50 yr BP (Berberián et al. 1988). The archaeological culture is primarily defined by settlement patterns, agricultural activity, and stone sculpture (Bennett et al. 1948;Berberián et al. 1988;González 1962González , 1977González and Núñez Regueiro 1960). Settlement patterns and associated landscape features suggest that both cultivated plants and domesticated animals comprised a significant component of the local subsistence economy (Sampietro 2002;Sampietro and Vattuone 2005). ...
Landscapes represent a dynamic point of articulation between humans and the environment. While often dichotomized, humans are active participants in the environment and often play a pivotal role in its transformation over time. In this paper, we use case studies from western South America and Australia to illustrate the importance of studying long-term dynamics between humans and the environment. Such investigations can bring significant historical depth to environmental change and the role humans have played in altering courses of landscape evolution and species biodiversity. Humans comprise a critical element in environmental change, and collectively, our results hold strong implications for issues related to sustainability and effective management of our planet's desert resources. Los paisajes representan un punto dinámico de articulación entre los seres humanos y el ambiente físico. Mientras que a veces se presentan como opuestos, los grupos humanos son participantes activos en el ambiente y frecuentemente cumplen un papel muy importante en su transformación a través del tiempo. En este artículo se usan estudios arqueológicos del oeste de Sudamérica y de Australia para ilustrar la importancia de investigar interacciones, a largo plazo, entre los grupos humanos y el medio ambiente. Estas investigaciones pueden ofrecer una mayor profundidad en el conocimiento histórico al cambioambiental y asimismo precisar el rol que han jugado los grupos humanos en modificar trayectorias particulares en la evolución del paisaje y de biodiversidad de las especies. Los grupos humanos constituyen un elemento crítico en el cambio ambiental y, en conjunto, nuestros resultados tienen fuertes implicancias para temas relacionados con sostenibilidad y la gestión efectiva de los recursos desérticos de nuestro planeta.
... Not all these categories of objects are present in all the sites of this period. For example, at archaeological sites with different types of ceremonial architecture, as in Alamito (Campo del Pucará) or Tafí ( fig.1), non-local objects, particularly obsidian, are underrepresented (Berberián and Nielsen 1988;Cremonte 1996;González and Núñez Regueiro 1960;Núñez Regueiro 1971;Núñez Regueiro and Tartusi 1993). This could demonstrate a tendency to privilege control over the contexts where public action occurred, rather than the control over the objects themselves 11 (see Scattolin 1999). ...
The anthropological concern about gift exchange drew attention to the fact that people exchange things that are not necessary
from the point of view of basic subsistence (Mauss, 1925; Strathern, 1992:169). Consequently, from the beginning of the 20th century, the exploration of the principles by which people need to exchange at all has been a subject of central importance.
Quite often this search ended with the answer that people need to build a socially integrated life, and that these transactions
help towards that integration (Strathern, 1992). However, exchange theory has been lately reconfigured in anthropology, focusing
the debate on the ambiguities and heterogeneities in exchanges more than in normative or homogeneous aspects (Weiner, 1992:17).
Following this line, understanding the roots of exchange relationships requires the re-evaluation of some concepts, such as
space, value and reciprocity.
... It is on the emergence and ultimate collapse of an early complex society, identified as the Qijia Culture, that we focus our attention in this paper. First identified by J. Gunnar Andersson in 1923 (Andersson, 1929 Andersson and Black, 1923), the Qijia Culture is centered in eastern Qing Hai and western Gansu Provinces in the heartland of modern China. Characterized by red incised or combed pottery, simple copper and bronze metallurgy, large ceremonial centers, defensive fortifications, social differentiation , and intensive agriculture and domesticated animals (An, 1988; Underhill, 1997; Wang, 1987; Yan, 1999), the Qijia cultural and political sphere expanded rapidly and extensively throughout the western Loess Plateau between 4300 and 4000 cal yr B.P. (An et al., 2004). ...
New data suggest that dramatic environmental change in the Western Loess Plateau of China corresponded with substantial changes in human demography ca. 4000 cal yr B.P. These data demonstrate that a rapid climatic transition from wet to dry led to an ecologically devastated period between 4090 and 3600 cal yr B.P. The sudden reduction in the number of archaeological sites during this period, namely a reduction in the total number of sites and a contraction of the areal distribution of sites, points to declining agricultural productivity associated with widespread aridification beginning at 4000 cal yr B.P.
Esta investigación tiene como objetivo principal estudiar el paisaje agrario del valle de Sondondo (Perú), analizando la formación y las transformaciones que se han sucedido en los sistemas de terrazas y andenes a lo largo del último milenio. Se estudia tanto lo relativo a su forma constructiva y tecnológica, como a los cultivos que acogieron y la simbología que las comunidades dan a estos elementos y procesos. Este estudio de carácter diacrónico evalúa los cambios en el paisaje desde el periodo Intermedio Tempano (500 a. C.- 600 d. C.) hasta el Horizonte Tardío (1450-1532 d. C.). Así, se analizan las influencias que distintos poderes políticos locales y supra locales tuvieron en las modificaciones territoriales de un paisaje profusamente aterrazado.
La investigación se sirve de la Arqueología del Paisaje para ahondar en los elementos que forman parte del paisaje agrario: desde los sistemas de terrazas y andenes a los espacios de hábitat y almacenamiento, pasando por las piedras maqueta, como elemento simbólico. Además, la investigación aplica la Arqueología Agraria al contexto andino; la excavación arqueológica de terrazas de cultivo y andenes se complementa con una amplia gama de analíticas arqueométricas y paleobotánicas que permiten discutir problemáticas agrarias y fenómenos culturales de carácter regional para los Andes Centrales. Se examina el proceso de transformación del paisaje desde el estudio químico del suelo y el análisis de microrestos, como los fitolitos, permitiendo ahondar en las secuencias de cambio y sus implicaciones sociales.
Esta investigación multidisciplinar demuestra como la identificación de cambios en el paisaje agrario nos ayuda a ahondar en las transformaciones sociopolíticas de las sociedades prehispánicas y evidencia el relevante papel que juega el ámbito simbólico y la ritualidad en el paisaje agrario cotidiano.
The main objective of this research is to study the agrarian landscape of the Sondondo valley (Peru), analyzing the formation and transformations of terraces and anden systems over the last millennium. The research focuses on the construction and technological form of the terraces and the crops that were grown and harvested on the installations. Moreover, the study examines the symbolism of the terraces for the communities that built and used them. This diachronic study evaluates the changes in the landscape from the Early Intermediate period (500 BP-600 AD) to the Late Horizon (1450-1532 AD). Thus, we analyzed how different local and supra-local polities influenced the territorial modifications and other transformations of the landscape in the valley of Sondondo.
We mobilize Landscape Archaeology to interpret the agrarian landscape including the systems of terraces and platforms, domestic remains and storage spaces, as well as carved stone models and their symbolism. In addition, the research applies Agrarian Archaeology to the Andean context: the archaeological excavation of cultivation terraces and andenes is complemented with a wide range of archaeometric and paleobotanical analyses that permits an analysis of the agrarian history and culture in the region of the Central Andes. The process of landscape transformation is further examined from the chemical study of the soil and the analysis of microremains, such as phytoliths, allowing us to understand the sequences of its transformations and its social implications.
This multidisciplinary research proves why tracking the changes in the agrarian landscape can provide a strong basis to reconstruct socio-political transformations of pre-Hispanic societies and the important role played by symbolism and ritual in the agrarian landscape.
The Xindian culture of northwest China has been seen as a prototypical example of a transition toward pastoralism, resulting in part from environmental changes that started around 4000 years ago. To date, there has been little available residential data to document how and whether subsistence strategies and community organization in northwest China changed following or in association with documented environmental changes. The Tao River Archaeology Project is a collaborative effort aimed at gathering robust archaeological information to solidify our baseline understanding of economic, technological, and social practices in the third through early first millennia BC. Here we present data from two Xindian culture residential sites, and propose that rather than a total transition to nomadic pastoralism—as it is often reconstructed—the Xindian culture reflects a prolonged period of complex transition in cultural traditions and subsistence practices. In fact, communities maintained elements of earlier cultivation and animal-foddering systems, selectively incorporating new plants and animals into their repertoire. These locally-specific strategies were employed to negotiate ever-changing environmental and social conditions in the region of developing ‘proto-Silk Road’ interregional interactions.
viejos utensilios del hombre, hoy rebajados o elevados a símbolos; no sé por qué me maravillan, cuando no hay en la tierra una sola cosa que el olvido no borre o que la memoria no altere y cuando nadie sabe en que imágenes lo traducirá el porvenir" J. L. Borges. "Mutaciones". INTRODUCCION Esta es una primera síntesis del trabajo realizado en el sitio "Barrio Malvinas", ubicado en el barrio homónimo (Km 60 de la ruta provincial 307-Tafí del Valle, provincia de Tucumán). Nuestro trabajo se encuentra dentro del proyecto dirigido por la Licenciada Bárbara Manasse, de la Escuela de Arqueología de la Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Este proyecto, apoyado por la Municipalidad de Tafí del Valle, tiene como finalidad el relevamiento y evaluación del impacto sobre el patrimonio arqueológico que pudieran provocar obras municipales. Dentro del área denominada por el Código de planeamiento Urbano como "D2" (Manasse 1999), "Barrio Malvinas" está siendo amenazado por la creciente urbanización de la zona y es, por cierto, una de las áreas propuestas para la creación de una reserva arqueológica. Realizamos durante el mes de febrero de 2000 un relevamiento altiplanimétrico, a través del cual pudimos relevar unas 200 estructuras que se encuentran ubicadas sobre * Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, UBA. 249
The study of human‐driven processes is useful to gain a better understanding of thelong‐term evolution of land degradation, soil erosion and geomorphologyas well as resource availability for human settlement. The objective of this paper is to identify the long‐term results of human impact on the vulnerable dryland ecosystems in Northwest Argentina,specifically to analyze the consequences of the spread and consolidation of the agricultural way of life on the landscape. To reach this objective, a multiproxy interdisciplinary geoarchaeological study was conducted to link an evolutionary geomorphological model with the soil development and degradation, peopling, and land use change during the UpperHolocene and integratedistinct areas of the Tafí valley region, which is the most studied area;other neighboring valleys; and the Puna. The analyses identified positive human‐driven impacts that led to a general degradation of the landscape during the agricultural Prehispanic period, dated between ca. 2000 and 500 BP. This degradation is manifested by accelerated morphogenesis, mainly fine‐grained accumulated sediments, thick deposits, and the presence of human debris interbeddedwith the natural sediments. The success of the productive agricultural systems that expanded during the Formative Period led to a gradual increase in the demographic density, resulting in extensive environmental degradationdue to overexploitation of the drylands of Northwest Argentina, in some cases increased by adverse climatic changes.
The present paper discusses the type and intensity of environmental hazards affecting the urban conglomerate of Greater San Miguel de Tucumán in the presence of future climatic changes. The steps required for making regional predictions as regards their impact on superficial geodynamics are described on the basis of the poor reliability of global models and on the marked spatial variability influencing natural or anthropized landscape. The significance of paleoclimatic reconstructions is stressed as an expression of the prevalent regional environmental conditions in the past, free of anthropogenic influence. The data is analyzed at three levels of temporal resolution (the last decades, the last millennium, and the Holocene period). The first level discusses inter-annual variability and "El Niño-La Niña" Southern Oscillation effects on the generation of morphodynamic processes negatively affecting the metropolitan area of Tucumán. The millenarian climatic variability analysis stresses the environmental changes influencing regional agro-pottery cultures and the extreme humid-arid climatic conditions during the Holocene period associated to paleoedaphic development and loess deposition. Consequently, two potential scenarios for climatic change are described, characterized by definitely more humid conditions or by marked aridity. The metropolitan area was divided into seven geo-morphological units. Matrices were elaborated so as to perform qualitative assessment of the potential intensity of each environmental hazard on every extreme scenario for climatic change and under different conditions of soil-use (urban, suburban, and rural). In brief, this proposal constitutes a preliminary approximation to the characterization of the future effects of climatic change with the purpose of contributing to the development of early alert, prevention, and/or mitigation programs.
First Millennium AD peasant societies have been a main archaeological research object addressed by Argentinean archaeology. Upon their study there have been generated narratives, concepts and theoretical models that resulted on the formalization of narratives for the understanding of pre-Hispanic past. This paper presents a historiographic analysis of the main archaeological narratives that have set out narratives about this process, drawing attention to three topics: the scale of the analysis, the social change concept, and the role of materiality. This explains the trajectories of the different contexts of knowledge production and critically revises the vision that considers the explanation of these phenomena under the categories of Early or Formative Period.
Here we present the results of the research carried out in Campo de Pucará between 2005 and 2010. This newly acquired information enabled us, first, to rethink aspects linked to the chronology of the area extending the range the occupation, and second, to propose a different image of the archeology of the area, with emphasis on the analysis of the social construction of space. This data allowed us to identify the transformation of the landscape, with the consequent creation of a new model of spatiality under redefining social relations and practices of its inhabitants.
A central issue in analyzing the dynamics of pre-Hispanic societies is their ability to produce the goods they consume, in this case, the pottery they used in their daily activities be they domestic or symbolic/ritual nature. One of the first stages of a program of archaeology study focused on such issues u involves identifying potential clay sources, a primary resource in ceramic manufacturing, and its compositional affinity with archaeological fragments. In this paper we present the results of a Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) conducted on 54 samples from the Tafi Valley in northwestern Argentina. Of these, 50 are archaeological fragments assigned to the Late and Inca Periods within the local regional chronology, while four are clay samples from across the valley. The multi-elemental affinity of sample compositions supports an interpretation of local pottery manufacturing, although the conclusions are tempered by the small sample in this initial study.
The study focused on the construction of the village landscape in the northern sector of Tafi Valley, resulting in the identification of the multiple temporalities that cross-cut it. This contrasts with previous approaches that conceived and historicized such villages in a linear and unitemporal fashion. The following hypothesis was tested: that the concentration of settlements or scattering of household compounds in Tafi valley can be explained on the basis of the practices carried out by persons constituted as members of large domestic groups with segmentary and highly competitive identities. The dispersion and concentration of settlements occurred at different times and as a result of a social logic that persisted for almost a millennium. The study of this logic could be a starting point for understanding the processes of village dispersion at larger spatial scales.
This paper demonstrates that Oscar Montelius (1843–1921), the world-famous Swedish archaeologist, had a key role in the development of modern scientific Chinese archaeology and the discovery of China’s prehistory. We know that one of his major works, Die Methode, the first volume of his Älteren kulturperioden im Orient und in Europa, translated into Chinese in the 1930s, had considerable influence on generations of Chinese archaeologists and art historians. What has previously remained unknown, is that Montelius personally promoted the research undertaken in China by Johan Gunnar Andersson (1874–1960), whose discoveries of Neolithic cultures in the 1920s constituted the breakthrough and starting point for the development of prehistoric archaeology in China. In this paper, we reproduce, translate and discuss a long forgotten memorandum written by Montelius in 1920 in support of Andersson’s research. In this Montelius indicated his belief in the potential of prehistoric Chinese archaeology as well as his predictions regarding the discoveries about to be made. It is therefore an important document for the study of the history of Chinese archaeology as a whole.
In Argentina, the prehispanic agricultural activity, is not the most popular issue to investigate and almost nobody study it from a geoarchaeological perspective. Therefore our objective was to determinate the anthropic modification produced by the sustained use of prehispanic cultivated fields located at Yasyamayo (Tucumán, Argentina), and their relationship with the climatic conditions at the moment of occupation. To accomplish it we used methods from the geoscience such as pH, texture, color, structure, bulk density, organic phosphorous, calcium, and available phosphorous, manganese, cupper and iron. We could determinate a clear distinction between agricultural and natural lands. It was even possible to recognize the use of organic fertilizer in the agricultural areas.
Desde el año 2005 estamos llevando a cabo un proyecto de investigación en la Quebrada
de Los Corrales que se encuentra en el área de El Infiernillo (Tafí del Valle, Tucumán). Dicho
proyecto tiene como objetivo principal profundizar en el conocimiento de las ocupaciones humanas
prehispánicas en este sector de Cumbres Calchaquíes por encima de los 3.000 metros sobre el
nivel del mar (msnm), en el centro-oeste de la provincia de Tucumán que hasta ahora no había
sido explorado1. El objetivo del presente trabajo es dar a conocer los resultados e implicancias
obtenidos hasta el momento a partir del análisis de las evidencias arqueológicas detectadas
en el sitio Cueva de Los Corrales 1 (CC1) que se ubica en la margen oeste de la mencionada
quebrada. Esta cueva cuenta con un registro estratificado y se caracteriza por el excelente grado
de preservación de los restos orgánicos. Cabe aclarar que, por el momento, CC1 es el único sitio
detectado en la provincia de Tucumán que presenta restos arqueológicos bajo el reparo de una
geoforma natural.
En el presente trabajo se analizan las condiciones ambientales que habría influido en la dinámica de ocupación del espacio prehispánico y su relación directa con la utilización de los diferentes ecosistemas. Al mismo tiempo que explicar los procesos sociales frente a los eventos ambientales mediante la utilización de proxis derivados de otras disciplinas. Intentamos explicar la influencia potencial que tuvieron los factores ambientales en la transición entre el desarrollo de las sociedades aldeanas y los señoríos subsecuentes en diferentes sectores del noroeste argentino. Momento este coincidente con el período medieval cálido europeo.
Acorde a trabajos previos, el período medieval cálido se habría manifestado en nuestra región con dos momentos de sequías, el primero entre el 1090 AP y el 890 AP y el segundo entre el 790 AP y el 650 AP. En suma, se comprueba la existencia de un primer período de aridez de 200 años, seguido por un interregno húmedo de 100 años y finalmente, un último lapso árido de aproximadamente 140 años. Estos lapsos de variaciones ambientales poseen un correlato con la dinámica de desarrollo de las culturas contemporáneas del noroeste argentino. En esta oportunidad se tomaron como caso de estudio dos áreas pertenecientes a unidades ambientales y tradiciones culturales distintas: el valle de Tafí y la cuenca Tapia/Trancas. Ambos en la provincia de Tucumán. En el valle de Tafí se comprueba, a través del análisis de 20 perfiles de suelo (provenientes de distintos contextos arqueológicos y geomorfológicos) y un perfil polínico de El Infiernillo, que desde el 2000 AP hasta el 950 AP dominaron condiciones de mayor humedad que las actuales, a partir de este momento se produce un cambio notable hacia condiciones áridas con cierto restablecimiento de condiciones de mayor humedad en momentos posteriores al 600 AP. En relación a la cuenca de Tapia/Trancas, de acuerdo a las evidencias paleoclimáticas existentes en la llanura chaqueña occidental y los valles intermontanos de altura, las fluctuaciones aridez/humedad se manifestaron en un desplazamiento en los pisos de vegetación. Así, durante los interregnos áridos, los pisos de vegetación perennifolia de las yungas sin duda se habrían reducido a expensas de los pisos de caducifolios. Por otra parte, el chaqueño árido habría progresado sobre los piedemontes en lugar del área ocupada actualmente por el bosque de transición. Ejemplo de esto último es el caso del sitio Moya (San Pedro de Colalao, cuenca Tapia/Trancas) donde se evidencia al final de la ocupación (ca. 1500 AP) mayor concentración de limos loésicos a partir de la cual se infiere un estadio de mayor aridez a la actual. Para concluir, podemos decir que el cambio Subboreal/Subatlánico correspondería en la región con el inicio de un período más húmedo que haría coincidido con al expansión de las sociedades aldeanas. El inicio del período medieval árido coincide con la desaparición de la cultura Tafí y la transición de las ya mencionadas sociedades aldeanas hacia los señoríos. Probablemente las condiciones de circulación continental fueron distintas a la actual.
At El Rincón, a small village near the Quebrada del Portugués, province of Tucumán, Argentina, there are remarkable archaeological remains where particular pedologic processes not detected elsewhere in the valley could be observed. The aim of this contribution is to point out the difference between the pedologic process in this archaeological site from those registrated intrasite.
The present list represents a major portion of the samples measured since publication of the last date list in 1963. As in previous lists, dates are reported in terms of the 5568 yr half-life. Infinite dates are reported as beyond a limit equal to 2σ above background. Nearly all of the samples were measured in one of three quartz counters with backgrounds of 0.7 to 1.2 cpm per liter of effective counting volume at working pressures of about two atmospheres. The age errors quoted are based only on the standard deviations in counting rates of sample and standards.
The various C ¹⁴ projects of the Radiocarbon Laboratory have been supported by the National Science Foundation, Grants GP 4879 and GA 1157; the tree ring research has been supported by the Atomic Energy Commission under contract AT (30-1) 2652. Technical assistance has been provided by Carolyn H. Morgan and Terry C. Eisensmith.
The scarcity of' evidence about the subsistence economy of Tafí culture (I to IX century A.D.) indicated geochemical analyses, derivedfrom pedological and geological science, which had previously seen little use in the archaeology of the Southern Andes. To identify geochemical signatures resulting from cultivation of Formative fields, at the site o/El Tolar in the Tafí valley (Tucumán-ArgentinaJ, comparative chemical and pedological analyses were made of the agricultural and residential soils. The results show that agrarian and residential soils, from the same periods ofuse, differed markedly. Paleosolsfrom the agricultural fields were well developed. High levéis of organic phosphorous and iron probably reflect the delibérate application offertilizers.
The objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between agricultural soils, land and cult behaviour. We consider that soils, as they were modified by humans, contain key information for the reconstruction of past behaviour linked to super-structural beliefs, not necessarily visible through the conventional material record. In this sense, the manipulation of lands and soils in the Andean region represents the unification of ritual activities and beliefs focused on the Pachamama (Mother Earth). We present the results of a study to examine soil management at a prehispanic agricultural settlement in Northwest Argentina, together with other evidence related to the agricultural symbolic universe, which reveals evidence of land categorization and land use preferences.
Landscapes represent a dynamic point of articulation between humans and the environment. While often dichotomized, humans are active participants in the environment and often play a pivotal role in its transformation over time. In this paper, we use case studies from western South America and Australia to illustrate the importance of studying long-term dynamics between humans and the environment. Such investigations can bring significant historical depth to environmental change and the role humans have played in altering courses of landscape evolution and species biodiversity. Humans comprise a critical element in environmental change, and collectively, our results hold strong implications for issues related to sustainability and effective management of our planet's desert resources.
The people that inhabited northwestern Argentina before the arrival of the Incas shared a basic, common cultural background
with other Andean societies (Figure 30.1). Nevertheless, they seem to have followed a unique developmental trajectory that
differs from the socio-cultural processes that took place in the Central Andes. This chapter is a survey of these societies.
Excellent syntheses are already available (e.g., González 1977; González and Pérez 1972; Ottonello and Lorandi 1987; Raffino
1988) and we refer readers to them for further information on specific archaeological materials.
We organize our discussion in terms of the existing periodification for this area: Early (ca. 500 BC-AD 650, sometimes called
Formative), Middle (ca. AD 650–900) and Late (ca. AD 900–1400/1470) (González and Pérez 1972) (Figure 30.2). Instead of discussing
each period as an evolutionary stage in a unified developmental sequence, we adopt a perspective that focuses on the lived
experiences of the past groups. We discuss how landscapes, places, and identities were socially constructed and negotiated
in each period, stressing the importance of daily life experiences and interactions as much as the central role of material
culture in these socio-cultural processes.
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