Phytoliths in microfossil assemblages once more called to understand unknown functional analysis. The case of the Inka ?celdas? at Northwestern Argentina.

KORSTANJE M.A; LAURA TADDEI; JULIETA CECILIA ZAPATIEL; VERONICA WILLIAMS

Wuhan

Encuentro; The 11th International Meeting on Phytolith research; 2018

China University of Geosciences, Wuhan Department of environmental engineering, School of environmental studies

11th International Meeting on Phytolith Research. September 14-16, 2018. Wuhan, ChinaSession 4: Application of phytolith and starch in the environmental archaeologyPhytoliths in microfossil assemblages once more called to understand unknown functional analysis. The case of the Inka ?celdas? at Northwestern Argentina.KORSTANJE, M. Alejandra, Laura TADDEI SALINAS, Julieta ZAPATIEL y Verónica WILLIAMS When we started developing the method of multiple microfossil analysis (Coil et al, 2003) we had a difficult functional quiz to resolve: the circular and semicircular stone enclosures of local prehistory could have different uses along the time and when no artifacts were in surface nor in excavation we were uncertain about their purpose (Korstanje et al 2014).In this opportunity, we take a similar challenge. We seek for the role of Inca architectural structures that are registered in distinct Northwest Argentina and circum Andean areas, informally called ?celdas? (prison cells). They are quite different of kancha concept as a checkerboard regularized enclosure. They may be located to the side of Inca roads, associated with sites with different functionality as tampus, administrative sites or agricultural areas. The bibliography research indicates that similar small structures were built in other places of the Tawantinsuyu (De Hoyos and Williams 2016). This architectural pattern should have some role or specific purpose for the Inca State that remained unknown from the formal archaeological methods.Therefore, based on this problem, we sampled two different sites with ?celdas? in Northwestern Argentina to analyze them under multiple microfossil methodology, with the aim of understand if there is a regular pattern of use and functionality or they may be also used for different purposes according to their geographical and political location in the imperial landscape. First results will be shown in this opportunity, understanding phytoliths and other microfossils in and from their archaeological and soil contexts.References:Coil, J., M. A. Korstanje, S. Archer y C. Hastorf. 2003. Laboratory goals and considerations for multiple microfossil extraction in archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Science 30. Págs: 991-1008. Academic Press. ISSN: 0305-4403.De Hoyos, M & V. Williams.2016. Abran kancha? Una variante de recinto perimetral compuesto en el noroeste argentino. Estudios Atacameños Arqueología y Antropología Surandinas. No. 55 (2017), pp. 109-134. Chile.Korstanje, M.A.; Cuenya, P. y M. Maloberti 2014. El análisis múltiple de microfósiles como herramienta para estudiar paisajes agrícolas y prácticas campesinas: una síntesis metodológica. En: Avances y desafíos metodológicos en Arqueobotánica: miradas consensuadas y diálogos compartidos desde Sudamérica. Editado por C. Belmar y V. Lema. Pp.252-275 Monografías arqueológicas. Facultad de Estudios de Patrimonio Cultural. Universidad SEK, Chile. ISBN 978-956-7137-82-4.