Characterization of Pottery in Characato and Ongamira Valleys, Southern Pampean Hills, Córdoba, Argentina: Compositional Analysis of Raw Material and Sherds Using XRD, FRX, and INAA

CATTANEO ROXANA; IZETA , ANDRES

Denver

Congreso; SAA 90th Annual Meeting; 2025

sOCIETY FOR AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY

A combination of mineralogical, geochemical, and petrographic analyses is utilized in studying both clay raw material and pottery sherds from archaeological sites located in the Ongamira and Characato Valleys (Córdoba, Argentina). By employing XRD, XRF, INAA, and crystallography to refine the diffraction patterns, we analyze the record of 18 clay potential sources and 78 pottery sherds from 16 archaeological sites dated between 1900 and 300 BP. In both regions, we interpret the archaeological remains as evidence of seasonally reoccupied encampments, using both rockshelters and also open-air sites. Our comparisons reveal an intravalley use of different sources, consistent with findings of other researchers at the macroregions level. The variability in mineral composition indicates multiple producers, the use of several sources, and diverse provenances within each microregion. The variability in mineralogical composition suggests multiple producers, the use of several local sources with diverse provenance in each region. This local sourcing suggests a lack of vessel transfer between regions, aligning with studies of different raw materials such as quartz and silcretes used in lithic technology, or firewood, which also indicate local use.Cattaneo, Roxana