INCIHUSA   20883
INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS HUMANAS, SOCIALES Y AMBIENTALES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Archaeological characterization of colonial pottery from Mendoza city and surroundings. Production, distribution and consumption contexts in the Spanish empire periphery in South America (16th and 17th centuries)
Autor/es:
J. ROBERTO BÁRCENA; MARÍA JOSÉ OTS
Lugar:
Barcelona
Reunión:
Congreso; Global Pottery. 1st International Congress on Historical Archaeology and Archaeometry for Societies in contact.; 2012
Institución organizadora:
Equipo ARQ-UB
Resumen:
Mendoza is a province in Argentina’s Middle West which was effectively incorporated to the Spanish empire in 1561. Pottery remains in the early colonial Mendoza city includes some types of European Majolica (e.g. Talavera, Ichtuknee, Sevillana), American (e.g. Panamá Polícromo, Monocromo Rojo Bruñido) and local styles (glazed earthenware generally called Carrascal). We introduce an archaeological characterization from typological and technological attributes through macroscopical analysis of paste, surface treatments and decoration. Also, we compare the historical description of techniques in local ceramic production with archaeological remains by using archaeometrical techniques (first approaches on glaze characterization was carried out by atomic spectrometry and X-ray techniques). Our research goal is the identification of posthispanic local impact of ceramic goods in two main aspects: different context of consumption and demand of imported and/or local pottery and the most outstanding characteristics of local production during the Colonial period in Mendoza. We analyze pottery from different contexts in 16th and 17th centuries in Mendoza city (also called Área Fundacional): Main Square, Cabildo, Santo Domingo Convent, and other sites nearby the colonial center. We also include data from rural surrounding areas, like the Jesuitical Estancias in Valle de Uco. We consider these features in the Southern periphery of the Spanish empire and we compare them with other cases. We introduce advances in these historical and archaeological approaches to identify ceramic distribution networks. Pottery consumption patterns in Mendoza are represented by a low density of Majolicas (or European tradition ceramics) and an increase in local production. We have identified different patterns in material culture in two areas (city and rural surroundings:  presence-absence of Majolica and other exotics types; or local post-Hispanic types). Local production of European tradition vessels began at the same time as colonial process of settlement and as regional economic development (mainly tableware, and big containers associated with wine and olive production). As far as local production is concerned, some results support that the influence of African potters was more important than native technology to satisfy European demand in this region.