First results of archaeological research at the inca site El Chacay (Uspallata, Northwestern Mendoza)
We present excavation and survey results from Inca site El Chacay, located in the Uspallata Valley, northwestern Mendoza, Argentina. Along the Inca road, we identified a stone-wall structure (pirca) that resembles a classic Inca kancha, with two enclosures attached to a larger one. The finds from th...
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| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
2019
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.uncu.edu.ar/ojs3/index.php/analarqueyetno/article/view/2864 |
| Aporte de: |
| Sumario: | We present excavation and survey results from Inca site El Chacay, located in the Uspallata Valley, northwestern Mendoza, Argentina. Along the Inca road, we identified a stone-wall structure (pirca) that resembles a classic Inca kancha, with two enclosures attached to a larger one. The finds from the site includeDiaguita-Inca ceramic fragments from flat plates, lithic artifacts, seeds, camelid rib bone fragments and three hearths, one in each room. In this paper we analyze the architecture and associated material in order to address the residential functionality of the site. We identify daily domestic practices such as preparing, cooking, and consuming food. We used macroscopic techniques to analyze the pottery with the goal of defining style, the chaîne opératoire, and discuss the origin of the pottery and the technologic tradition of those who made or transported it. In this regard, we show that the vessels have forms and pastes that appear in the region during Inca domination. The technological characteristics can be linked directly to traditional practices of groups from the Norte Chico and/or central region of Chile. In terms of Inca spatial and social dynamics in the microregion and in Central West Argentina, El Chacay was incorporated into the direct-control network of tambos and the imperial road network in the Andes. The site was part of the Inca domination strategy over upon local groups who lived in the valley bottom. |
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