Collar vedas from the Tafí Culture, Tucumán (Argentina) (I millennium AD). Raw materials characterization and provenance

12.2.26. DOMÍNGUEZ BELLA, S. Y M. M. SAMPIETRO VATTUONE

Geoarcheological and Bioarchaeological Studies 3

Vrije Universiteit

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2005 p. 75 - 78

Tafí Culture was developed in the Tafí valley area, Tucumán province, North of Argentina, between 1 and 1000 AD. This culture corresponds with a society with agricultural economy and an advanced knowledge of the irrigation techniques and terrace cultivation. Also they have llama cattle-raising activities. An abundant settlement of this geographical area was probably produced, with little familiar units distribution, nearby between them. Habitation units are constituted by two or three circular rooms, of 2-6 meters in diameter, around a central circular nucleus of 10-15 meters in diameter. Archaeological materials are dominated by rough ceramic industry, in general painting in monochromatic red, rarely is polished grey or black. Radiocarbon dating of organic materials in many settlements of this valley shown dates from 1140 ± 50 / 2296 ± 70 BP. In the excavation of a composed residential unit in El Tolar area, appeared three burials in cist, as substructures under the occupational level. These structures are of cylindrical morphology, with false vault. At the cist number tree, dated at 340 AD, appeared an individual burial present ceramic and a collar with a great variety of beads. The studied collar was composed of 299 beads of different morphologies and compositions. A selection of 8 beads of the representative kinds of lithologies was analysed. Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and ICP-MS-LA spectroscopy was employed in the chemical and mineralogical characterization of this materials. Different lithologies appear in the beads, cream sandstones, blue and pale green turquoise, green beads of a mica group mineral and brown beads of opal and quartz. Geological features of this region have been studied in an attempt to elucidate the possible source areas for these materials. The non presence of minerals as turquoise in the local geology suggest a alloctonous provenance for all or a part of these raw materials. The more closets geological outcrops with this mineral appear at the North of Chile, at the other side of the Andes Cordillera. ± 50 / 2296 ± 70 BP. In the excavation of a composed residential unit in El Tolar area, appeared three burials in cist, as substructures under the occupational level. These structures are of cylindrical morphology, with false vault. At the cist number tree, dated at 340 AD, appeared an individual burial present ceramic and a collar with a great variety of beads. The studied collar was composed of 299 beads of different morphologies and compositions. A selection of 8 beads of the representative kinds of lithologies was analysed. Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and ICP-MS-LA spectroscopy was employed in the chemical and mineralogical characterization of this materials. Different lithologies appear in the beads, cream sandstones, blue and pale green turquoise, green beads of a mica group mineral and brown beads of opal and quartz. Geological features of this region have been studied in an attempt to elucidate the possible source areas for these materials. The non presence of minerals as turquoise in the local geology suggest a alloctonous provenance for all or a part of these raw materials. The more closets geological outcrops with this mineral appear at the North of Chile, at the other side of the Andes Cordillera.