Altitude cultivation: phytolith analysis in archaeological farming structure of “Quebrada del Río de Los Corrales” site (El Infiernillo, Tucumán, Argentina).

OLISZEWSKI NURIT

Mar del Plata

Congreso; 7th International Meeting on Phytolith Research. 4th Southamerican Meeting Phytolith Research.; 2008

In recent years, agricultural studies in archaeology has been focus in develop new acquiring ways of evidences about farming processes characteristics and cultivated species involved.  Following this lines of investigation, the main objective of this work is to make a microfossil characterization (phytoliths and ostracodes) of samples recovered in archaeological farming structures of “Quebrada del Río de Los Corrales” site (El Infiernillo, Dpto. Tafí del Valle. Tucumán). The site is located  more than 3200 meters above the sea level and shows a wide cultivation platforms system (“andenes”) in slopes as well as sectors with dwellings and corrals; a cave and other structures of not yet known funcionality. Radiocarbon dates made on archaeological materials from excavation contexts provenience, settlement pattern characteristics and ceramic stiles founded, allowed us to estimate an occupattional lapse for the site from ca. 2300  up to 600 years BP. The absence of unequivocal irrigation structures and the particular environmental characteristics derived of it topographic location (with an important low cloudiness of day frecuence), make us suposse a rainfed sowing agriculture         practice (“Secano” agriculture). Because of this, results of great interest to establish wich cultigenous would had been cultivated in this structures and the way farming activities took place in past. The excavation of a cave in the site (CC1) near platforms of cultivation  location (500 m) shows the presence of maize (Zea mays)  grains and bodys. This evidence was founded in stratigraphy and also inside (like stuffing) of rock excavated mortars. Likewise, Quinoa granules (Chenopodium quinoa), microthermical tubercles and maize vestiges were recovered from mobile milling artifacts. Results of microfossils analysis in platforms will allow us to interpret these evidences in an integrated and precise frame for the site. Five stratigraphic soundings were made for sample collect; four inside the agricultural structures of the subsector II B of the site (cultivation platforms N° 4, 8, 14 and 17) and the other outside the cultivation platforms area to get a comparative soil profile. Standard phytoliths sample collect techniques were used. Processing, analysis and indentification of microfossils was made in the “Microfossils Laboratory”- Archaeology and Museum Institute (IAM), Tucumán State University (UNT). Microfossil data will contribute to infer local palaeoenvironmental conditions, cultivation platforms hidrological operating, and cultivated species, revealing this way, economical, technological and social aspects of people life during the early Formative Period in  Northwest Argentina.