Using stable isotope analysis to explore the local impact of the Inka Empire in the southern Argentinian Puna

KILLIAN GALVAN, VIOLETA; GRANT, JENNIFER; MORALES Y PUENTES, P; CIENFUEGOS ALVARADO, E.; OTERO, F; PEREZ, MARTINA; OLIVERA, DANIEL

ANTIQUITY

Cambridge University Press

Lugar: Durham; Año: 2021 p. 1 - 17

0003-598X

The study of food consumption patterns offers a productive path of inquiry into the effect ofimperial rule on the everyday life of occupied populations. We present an analysis of stable isotopecomposition performed on ten individuals retrieved from tombs in Antofagasta de la Sierra, South-Central Andes, chronologically associated to the imperial expansion into the Argentinian Northwest. Our results show that the importance of maize in the diet of these individuals wasrelatively low. Considering the high symbolic value of maize in the Inka world, this findingsuggests a low degree of imperial influence over local agricultural production goals