The Abaucán Sur Research Project: initial stages in the collaboration between archaeologists and archaeometrists (Dept. Tinogasta, Provincia de Catamarca, Argentina).

DE LA FUENTE, G. A.

St. Louis, Missouri

Congreso; 75th Anniversary Meeting, Society for American Archaeology; 2010

Society for American Archaeology

The Abaucán Sur research project began two years ago in the context of exploration and research of a new geographical area. This geographical area was almost entirely unexplored until the 70`s with some few archaeological sites being known and investigated. Most of the archaeological evidence known from this area belongs to the Late (ca. AD 900 – AD 1450) and Inka (ca. AD 1480 – AD 1532) Periods of Northwestern Argentine region. One of the goals of the project focused in the development of an archaeometry program involving the studding of different types of artefacts, mainly ceramic, to understand certain aspects of ceramic production organization for these two periods (raw materials use, manufacture, function, and trade). The integration of the classical archaeological evidence and the archeometrical data is an ongoing work we are developing at this stage of the project. This paper is concerned with the exploration of the several ways archaeologists do this integration, paying especial attention to the links with local communities they are working in. This work involves the dissemination and diffusion of the main results obtained through research and how this information helps and lead people and archaeologist to a better understanding the past in the region under study.