Propuesta metodológica para el reconocimiento de piedras bezoares en contextos arqueológicos del Noroeste Argentino

NORMA NASIF; MARÍA E. VIDES; GABRIEL MIGUEZ; MARIO CARIA

Investigaciones arqueométricas: técnicas y procesos

Aspha

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2017; p. 163 - 174

The bezoar stones are bioliths, mainly gastrointestinal, produced by various animals (camels, deer, tapirs, among others). These objects were important in the life of South American communities in pre-Hispanic and colonial times. However, they were not registered in archaeological contexts Northwest Argentina (NOA). Two bezoars from an artificial mound (EM1) of Yánimas 1 site (900-1200 AD), located in the southern jungles of the province of Tucuman are analyzed. A methodological design aims to recognize the bezoar stones in the archaeological record, achieving the taxonomic identification of the animal that produced them and explore the use and social meaning. This methodological proposal may have implications for the study of human-animal relationship and exploring healing and rituals in pre-Hispanic communities of NOA.Keywords: bezoar stones; methodology; pre-Hispanic populations; Northwest Argentina