Obsidians from the South of Cumbres Calchaquíes. Technological and Provenance Analysis in Tafí and Anfama Valleys (Tucumán, Argentina).

SALAZAR, JULIÁN; FRANCO SALVI, VALERIA; MONTEGÚ, JUAN

Buenos Aires

Simposio; 11th International Symposium on Knappable Materials.; 2017

Obsidian is a lithic resource which has participated in important prehispanic interaction networks linking populations from different andean ecological steps (highland, valleys and Piedmont) in the Northwest of Argentina.The aim of this chapter is to present the provenance and technological analyses of the obsidian artifacts recovered in two archaeological sites of the upper Anfama river basin (Tucumán, Argentina). On the other hand, it seeks to discuss procurement and consumption practices of this raw material during the first millennium of the Christian Era in the study area.Combining theoretical tools of behavioral archeology and theory of practice, it is stated that obsidian was obtained by long-distance sourcing strategies and consumed in domestic practices which allowed biological and social reproduction of the groups.The chapter was divided into three sections. The first one presents the archaeological context of knapped obsidian artifacts. Then the results of the chemical, techno-morphological and morphological-functional analyses are exposed. Finally, the procurement strategies and use practices of the lithic resource are discussed and related to regional studies on the distribution and consumption of obsidians in the Northwest of Argentina.