An Insight into the Integral Analysis of Formative Pottery in Southern Argentine Puna

UNION INTERNATIONALE DES SCIENCES PRÉHISTORIQUES ET PROTOHISTORIQUES INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR PREHISTORIC AND PROTOHISTORIC SCIENCES

PROCEEDINGS OF THE XV WORLD CONGRESS (LISBON, 4-9 SEPTEMBER 2006)

ACTES DU XV CONGRÈS MONDIAL (LISBONNE, 4-9 SEPTEMBRE 2006)

Series Editor: Luiz Oosterbeek

VOL. 47

Miscellania

Edited by

Luiz Oosterbeek Cláudia Fidalgo

BAR International Series 2224 2011

This title published by Archaeopress Publishers of British Archaeological Reports Gordon House 276 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7ED England [email protected] www.archaeopress.com BAR S2224 Proceedings of the XV World Congress of the International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences Actes du XV Congrès Mondial de l’Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques Outgoing President: Vítor Oliveira Jorge Outgoing Secretary General: Jean Bourgeois Congress Secretary General: Luiz Oosterbeek (Series Editor) Incoming President: Pedro Ignacio Shmitz Incoming Secretary General: Luiz Oosterbeek Volume Editors: Luiz Oosterbeek and Cláudia Fidalgo Miscellania © UISPP / IUPPS and authors 2011 ISBN 978 1 40730782 4 Signed papers are the responsibility of their authors alone. Les texts signés sont de la seule responsabilité de ses auteurs. Contacts : Secretary of U.I.S.P.P. – International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences Instituto Politécnico de Tomar, Av. Dr. Cândido Madureira 13, 2300 TOMAR Email: [email protected] www.uispp.ipt.pt Printed in England by Blenheim Colour Ltd All BAR titles are available from: Hadrian Books Ltd 122 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7BP England [email protected] The current BAR catalogue with details of all titles in print, prices and means of payment is available free from Hadrian Books or may be downloaded from www.archaeopress.com

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AN INSIGHT INTO THE INTEGRAL ANALYSIS OF FORMATIVE POTTERY IN SOUTHERN ARGENTINE PUNA

Aixa S. VIDAL [email protected]

Abstract: This paper proposes an insight into the use of ceramic materials in three sites in Southern Argentine Puna: Casa Chávez Montículos, Real Grande 6 and Cueva Cacao 1A. Chronologically and culturally they correspond to the local Formative. Their features are quite different: a village, a hilltop hunting-herding site and a ritual and rock art cave, though their ceramic assemblages are comparable from a technological and formal perspective. The analysis presented here aims at studying the potential functions of these vessels, particularly in what we would call a domestic context. Key words: Formative, southern Puna, domestic pottery

We propose an analytical view of the pottery material from three sites in southern Argentine Puna: the residential-base Casa Chávez Montículos, the hilltop hunting-herding site Real Grande 6 and the complex Cueva Cacao 1A, with exceptional ritual and rock art findings. These sites, of diverse functionalities and located in different ecological areas in the region, are, however, chronologically and culturally placed in a period characterized as Formative, with human groups increasingly developing a basically agrarian and herding activity. In spite of their different features, the three sites present a pottery assemblage comparable from a technological and formal point of view.

This analysis aims at studying the possible functions fulfilled by these recipients, especially in what we can consider a domestic context in all these varied locations.

THE STUDY AREA

The archaeological sites in Antofagasta de la Sierra department (ANS), north-western Catamarca province, are located in the Atacama Puna, a high desert (3,600-3,800 m.a.s.l.) with strong solar radiation, great daily thermal variation, marked seasonality with poor summer rains (0-700 mm annually), low atmospheric pressure and irregular distribution of nutrients, determined by important variations in the weather, the topography, the geology and the biomass (Olivera and Elkin, 1994; Yacobaccio et al. 1994).

Antofagasta de la Sierra is an endorreic basin running into Antofagasta lagoon, between Antofagasta and Alumbrera volcanoes. The vegetation, in the Andean-Puna fitogeographical region, is characterized by shrub-like, halofilous, herbaceous steppe, and damps in different proportions (Cabrera, 1976). Fauna is mainly manifested in camelids, rodents, some carnivorous, lagomorphs and many species of birds, with a low diversity of medium-size mammals (Olivera and Elkin, 1994).

Due to the pluvial regime, together with frosts, unpredictable snowstorms and strong winds, puna environment is heterogeneous and unstable, and resources

are concentrated in specific points or “nutrient concentration areas” (ZCN sensu Yacobaccio, 1994) due to water availability, such as the microenvironments of the basin bottoms and protected gorges.

The Antofagasta de la Sierra micro-region was subdivided into three micro-environmental sections with high concentration of resources (Olivera, 1992): the Basin bottom (3,400-3,550 m.a.s.l.), the Intermediate Sectors (3,550-3,900 m.a.s.l.) and the High gorges (3.900-4.600 m.a.s.l.), whose topographic and resource differences were strongly related to the structure and dynamics of local populations (Escola, 2004; Olivera and Elkin, 1994). The three sites mentioned in this paper (Casa Chávez Montículos, Cueva Cacao 1A and Real Grande 6) correspond to this environmental division.

AGRO-PASTORAL SETTLEMENTS IN ANS

In different works, Olivera (1988, 1991, 1992, among others) postulated in Antofagasta de la Sierra area the “dynamic sedentarism” model to explain early agro-pastoral settlements in southern Puna (ca. 2400-900 AP). Summing up, he states that the human groups in this area implemented an agro-pastoral economy with predominance of camelid herding and the contribution of hunting and gathering activities. This model implies a high degree of sedentarism in base settlements, supplemented with a logistics that demands a variable degree of mobility by some members of the group. It would allow the exploitation of areas with high resource concentration, either directly and periodically, or indirectly, by complementarity mechanisms and exchange relations.

This proposal explains the presence of settlements like Residential bases of annual habitation in the basin bottom, and the seasonal use of protected gorges in intermediate and high areas favourable for herding and hunting, generating temporary settlements or high hunting/herding posts of recurrent occupation.

Apart from this differentiation in use according to resource availability, it is necessary, as recent research in the area indicates (Olivera et al. 2004, 2005), to consider the general

TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

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environmental conditions for the region at the time of the settlement of these first herding-agricultural groups. The palaeoclimatic features did not vary environmental diversity but would have certainly influenced risk estimation by the human groups of the moment, conditioning subsistence and applied technology.

Fig. 26.1. Location of the sites

According to the sedimentological profiles analyzed by Olivera et al. (2004a), in Antofagasta de la Sierra, between 3000 and 1600 BP, the reduction of 180 and 13C levels may indicate a lacustrian expansion in some areas such as Los Colorados lagoon and swamp formation in high gorges, with an increase in humidity and a probable decline of temperatures.

On the one hand, these changes seem to be related to a specific view of the landscape, whose symbolic evidences are still found in caves and shelters such as Cueva Cacao 1A, Real Grande 9, Quebrada Seca 3 and Punta de la Peña 11A (Olivera et al. 2001). By this period, the first cultigens appear in the area (Olivera et al. 2004a), corresponding with a possible population movement towards basin bottoms, abandoning other areas that would be left exclusively for grasses and hunting activities (Tchilinguirian and Olivera, 2004).

Towards the end of this period, agriculture increase and population growth force the settlement in fixed sites in intermediate areas and high gorges, where cultural influences from valley groups appear, especially in decorated pottery.

After 1600 BP there is a lacustrian regression, with deposition and erosion in middle gorges. The high evaporation seems to indicate higher temperatures and dryness, without substantial modification of vegetal levels in previous resource concentration areas (Olivera et al. 2004a). In spite of it, in the social sphere the changes are notorious: CChM is abandoned and the site of Bajo del Coypar is built on the opposite side of the river, related to important agricultural areas (Olivera and Vigliani, 1999).

THE SITES

Casa Chávez Montículos (CChM)

Casa Chávez Montículos site is located in the basin bot-tom (3,600 m.a.s.l.), on the left side of the Antofa-gasta/Punilla river, next to the tolar-field area, one of the most fertile micro-environmental sectors for agricultural practices, with good summer grasses for camelid herding.

It is a group of ten mounded structures of different dimensions divided in two groups around a depressed central space, with a large number of archaeological materials both in the structures and in the intermediate areas. The studies on site formation processes determine an artificial origin for the mounds, with some scarce natural sedimentation (Olivera and Nasti, 1993).

Two mounds were thoroughly studied: 1 and 4 (Olivera 1991). In both mounds, there is stratigraphic evidence of different kinds of structures (habitation, dump, artificial dig structures, hearths), remains of making and use of pottery, abundant lithic material (Escola, 2004c), rests of agricultural activities and processing and consumption of camelids, mainly still-born and young animals, which may indicate some selectivity in animal management (Olivera, 1991; Olivera and Elkin, 1994; Olivera and Nasti, 1993). These elements, together with its long occupational sequence (1530-2120 BP), suggest the existence of an agro-pastoral community with a high degree of sedentarism, probably with a year-round occupation (Olivera and Elkin, 1994).

Real Grande 6 (RG6)

This site is next to RG1 and shares its features. They are located on the left side of the high swamp of Real Grande (4,050 m.a.s.l.), in the medium/upper flow of the Las Pitas river, with abundant resources of water and grasses all year long, ideal for winter herding supplemented by high straw (Olivera and Elkin, 1994). This site has no absolute dates, however, due to its similarity with RG1 we can place it chronologically between 1110 and 680 BP (Olivera 1992).

Materials are still under study (Escola and Peña, pers. com.); in general, we can say that they do not strongly differ from RG1 material. This larger site revealed abundant lithic and archaeofaunistic remains and a few ceramic fragments, mostly utilitarian pottery. The

A.S. VIDAL: AN INSIGHT INTO THE INTEGRAL ANALYSIS OF FORMATIVE POTTERY IN SOUTHERN ARGENTINE PUNA

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Tab. 26.1. Pottery from Casa Chávez Montículos, Mound 1

firing atmosphere texture colour inclusions

CChM-Group

red. red. inc. ox. ox. inc. lamin. granul. brittle comp. homog. no homog. org. inorg. org.+inorg.

1

1a (n=20) 8 2 4 6 1 7 1 11 10 10 0 12 8

1b (n=164) 49 33 65 17 42 49 4 69 101 63 3 122 39

1c (n=5) 1 1 2 1 1 1 0 3 2 3 0 1 4

2

2a (n=50) 16 12 13 9 1 18 3 28 24 26 1 21 28

2b (n=586) 145 119 253 69 90 227 30 239 316 271 12 364 216

2c (n=39) 9 5 21 4 4 234 2 19 18 21 0 26 13

3

3a (n=4) 2 0 2 0 0 3 0 1 3 1 0 2 2

3b (n=48) 18 8 16 6 8 18 7 15 19 29 0 26 22

3c (n=5) 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 4 0 3 2

CChM-Group

size surface treatment amount of inclusions

unimodal bimodal trimodal

small med. large s.-med. med.-l. s.-med.-l. v. smooth smooth rough scarce medium abund.

1

1a (n=20) 5 0 0 7 2 6 20 0 0 0 20 0

1b (n=164) 65 1 1 77 1 19 0 164 0 5 151 8

1c (n=5) 0 0 0 78 0 2 0 0 5 0 5 0

2

2a (n=50) 7 0 0 31 0 12 50 0 0 4 43 3

2b (n=586) 65 8 2 368 10 133 0 586 0 16 509 61

2c (n=39) 5 0 0 16 4 14 0 0 39 0 32 4

3

3a (n=4) 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 0 4 0

3b (n=48) 9 1 0 20 2 16 0 48 0 4 37 7

3c (n=5) 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 5 0 5 0

CChM-Group composition sooth presence

thickness observations

rock mica quartz others yes no

1

1a (n=20) 0 5 13 2 3 17 4 to 5

1b (n=164) 2 12 126 24 13 151 2 to 5 2 lipids

1c (n=5) 0 0 3 2 2 3 5

2

2a (n=50) 0 6 26 18 8 42 6 to 8

2b (n=586) 9 52 377 148 52 534 6 to 8 4 lipids

2c (n=39) 3 3 15 18 3 36 6 to 8

3

3a (n=4) 0 2 1 1 0 4 9 to 10

3b (n=48) 0 3 31 14 5 43 9 to 14

3c (n=5) 1 1 2 1 0 5 9 to 13

dominance of Lama vicugna bones suggests that most faunal remains recovered came from hunting activities. Complementarily, the existence of skeletal parts of poor yield indicates the predominance of camelid killing and processing activities over consumption (Olivera, 1992; Olivera and Elkin, 1994).

Escola (2004b) states that, in RG1, most of the lithic assemblage in made of simple and complex instruments that were transported there to fulfil specific functions in the high post. She also stresses that many of them were discarded when exhausted or fragmented, though some

complete pieces may have been abandoned in view of a return to the site. These practices may be seen as cultural mechanisms to reduce or minimize the frequency and severity of supplying risks.

Cueva Cacao 1A (CC1A)

Cueva Cacao is a site that integrates two eaves: one with abundance of rock art and some stone structures (1A) and another one with fewer representations (1B), located in the archaeological area of Paicuqui, about 20 km north of Antofagasta.


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From the different occupational levels, we will discuss here the upper layers that correspond to agro-pastoral moments and, probably, a late Arcaic. The record for these periods shows pottery fragments, lithic artefacts, archaeobotanic and archaeofaunistic remains, and elements related to rock art. Available absolute dates place the upper occupations between ca. 1000 and 1400 BP, whereas a data of 3390 BP corresponds to the Arcaic occupations (Olivera et al., 2003).

In CC1A two structures were identified, one for storing built with stone slabs and kneaded clay mortar, with two possible reuse events, and a probable cist grave that contained wood remains dated in ca. 1000 BP.

Rock paintings and engravings show a variety of representations and styles, related to different moments in the use of the site, from the Formative period in the area (3000/3200-1500 BP) to Desarrollos Regionales and Inka (1100-465 BP), with predominance of representations typical of Formative and Medio periods (3000-1100 BP), without definite limitation of the stylistic space as regards chronology (Aschero, 1999, 2000).

THE CERAMIC SAMPLE

The totality of utilitarian pottery from the three sites was analysed from an archaeometric perspective of fabric analysis. Considering the sherd as the unit, we recorded both surface and fabric features. As regards surfaces, we considered manufacture technique and total thickness of the sherd. Fabric analysis demanded the join consideration of a series of elements, i.e. firing atmosphere, texture, colour distribution, kind, size and amount of inclusions, and mineral composition.

The first division was established according to thickness, as it is one of the variables more sensitive to tecnofunctional differentiation (sensu Rice, 1996). The sample was later subdivided according to a reiterative gathering of important attributes to differentiate vessel structure: surface treatment, size and amount of inclusions, and firing atmosphere. Following these divisions we postulated three groups, with three subdivisions each, summarized in Tables 26.1, 26.2 and 26.3.

In the three sites analyzed, the morphological characterization is just tentative because only a low number of diagnostic samples of bases and borders were found. In all cases, however, they seem to be vessels of different sizes, generally with projected borders and concave bases. There are also pucos (bowls) and medium-size and straight wall vessels. As regards size, border estimations indicate openings between 5 and 15 cm wide, being predominant the 10 cm diameter. These borders correspond to non-restricted openings and convex border vessels, between 5 and 9 mm thick.

The division in groups and subgroups was useful in the three contexts, revealing a homogeneous technology in

all cases, without marked structural differences, but with some peculiar features interesting enough to postulate decision-making as regards the selection of already manufactured vessels to be carried out to the different sites.

In the three sites we found fragments representing Groups 1, 2 and 3, though in different number. The proportionally most abundant Group is the second one (thickness between 6 and 8 mm), followed by Group 1 (thickness <6 mm), especially in CC1A and RG6, and, in a greatly lower proportion, Group 3 (thickness >8 mm), that also varies in time, as seen in the strong reduction recorded in the later levels of CChM. In the case of RG6, the presence of thicker containers is virtually inexistent.

In the residential base, Group 1 is not too numerous, but it embeds the larger amount of vessels with sooth remains. They are sherds with very thin walls, not apt to tolerate large structures, with both surfaces smoothed or almost polished, especially on the internal side (Vidal, 2002). In the rest of the sites, this situation is repeated, but it is the second group the one that shows evidences of sooth deposits, as well a larger number of sherds with internal polish.

No doubt, Group 2 is the most numerous in all the sites, in particular variant 2b, with both surfaces smoothed only; furthermore, this situation is kept alongside the period. However, it is not strange, as it seems to be the standard of the traditionally called “ordinary pottery”, that is, without decoration and with a smooth surface.

As regards the different varieties of firing atmospheres, the distance between CChM and the rest of the sites is even greater. Whereas in the residential base there is a high variety, being represented –though unequally- complete and incomplete firings, in RG6 and CC1A, on the opposite, most fragments presented either a reducing atmosphere or an oxidizing one, but always complete. In the case of RG6 there is a strong predominance of the second type. If we consider that incomplete firing atmospheres imply technical deficiencies, we can postulate that only higher quality recipients were selected for temporary sites.

As regards the abundance of reducing firings in all the sites, we can possible be considering the consequences of a successive exposition to coal open fires and not of the initial firing. It is interesting to note that in CC1A this kind of firing is predominant in all the groups, whereas in CChM it is predominant only in Groups 1 and 2, and in RG6 is almost exclusive of Group 2.

Though texture is almost similar in all the cases, in CChM it is mainly granular and compact, but in the other two sites the proportion is inverted. On the other hand, the low percentages of laminar textures disappear in the latter groups, appearing some friable sherds that may be affected by postdepositional processes. In general, sherds with granular fabrics show certain amount of macroscopically visible porosity and are more brittle,


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Tab. 26.2. Pottery from Cueva Cacao 1A

CC1A-Group firing atmosphere texture colour inclusions


1

1a (n=6) 1 1 4 0 0 3 1 2 5 1 0 5 1

1b (n=15) 5 1 9 0 0 12 1 2 10 5 0 14 1

1c (n=1) 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0

2

2a (n=8) 4 1 3 0 0 6 0 2 6 2 0 7 1

2b (n=19) 8 0 10 0 0 17 0 2 9 10 0 10 9

2c (n=3) 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 2 1 0 1 2

3

3a (n=5) 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 2 3 0 3 2

3b (n=5) 2 0 3 0 0 1 0 4 3 2 0 4 1

3c (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CC1A-Group




1

1a (n=6) 3 0 0 3 0 0 6 0 0 0 5 1

1b (n=15) 0 0 0 4 0 11 0 15 0 0 11 4

1c (n=1) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0

2

2a (n=8) 1 0 0 6 0 1 8 0 0 0 8 0

2b (n=19) 2 0 0 13 0 5 0 19 0 0 14 5

2c (n=3) 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 3 0

3

3a (n=5) 2 0 0 3 0 0 5 0 0 0 5 0

3b (n=5) 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 5 1 0 2 2

3c (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CC1A-Group composition sooth presence



1

1a (n=6) 0 5 4 0 2 4 4 to 5

1b (n=15) 4 9 9 0 4 11 4 to 5

1c (n=1) 0 1 1 0 0 1 5

2

2a (n=8) 2 2 3 0 1 7 6 to 8

2b (n=19) 2 8 2 0 7 12 6 to 8 3 lipids

2c (n=3) 0 2 1 0 0 3 6 to 8

3

3a (n=5) 2 0 2 0 2 3 9 to 10

3b (n=5) 3 1 4 1 2 2 9,10,11,13 2 raw

3c (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

with a higher number of larger and more variable inclusions. Laminar fabrics are quite important in the Lower Component of CChM and are drastically reduced in the Upper Component, especially in some groups, such as 1 and 3, matching the numbers in the other sites (Vidal, 2003). Typically, this texture is associated to large amounts of very small muscovite grains in the case of Group 1, and a selection of minerals in Group 3.

In the sample of CChM utilitarian pottery, inclusions are either absolutely inorganic or mix (organic and inorganic

elements), with a slight predominance of the first. On the opposite, in CC1A virtually all the sample has mineral contents exclusively and, in the case de RG6, these proportions are reversed. The kind of materials is common to all the assemblage: burned vegetables, different types of rocks, all varieties of mica, angular and rounded quartz grains, etc.

Mineral inclusions present a higher variety both in com-position and in size, though quartz is predominant, roun-ded or angular, typical of local lithology. In a reduced


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Tab. 26.3. Pottery from Real Grande 6

RG6-Group firing atmosphere texture colour inclusions


1

1a (n=8) 2 0 6 0 0 3 0 5 7 1 0 6 3

1b (n=7) 0 0 7 0 0 3 2 2 7 0 0 7 0

1c (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2

2a (n=12) 7 1 4 0 0 7 3 2 9 3 0 6 6

2b (n=19) 5 4 4 6 0 10 3 6 14 5 0 9 10

2c (n=2) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 1

3

3a (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3b (n=5) 2 1 1 1 0 3 1 1 3 1 1 1 3

3c (n=1) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1

RG6-Group




1

1a (n=8) 5 0 1 1 0 1 8 0 0 0 7 1

1b (n=7) 2 0 0 5 0 0 0 7 0 0 5 2

1c (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

2

2a (n=12) 3 0 0 9 0 0 12 0 0 0 11 1

2b (n=19) 3 2 0 10 2 3 19 0 0 0 0 0

2c (n=2) 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0

3

3a (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3b (n=5) 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0

3c (n=1) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

RG6-Group composition sooth presence



1

1a (n=8) 0 2 0 6 0 7 3 to 5

1b (n=7) 1 3 1 1 0 7 3 to 5

1c (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2

2a (n=12) 4 2 4 0 3 9 6 to 8

2b (n=19) 2 1 2 1 2 17 6 to 8 2 lipids

2c (n=2) 0 1 0 0 2 0 6

3

3a (n=0) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3b (n=5) 1 0 0 0 3 0 9,11,12

3c (n=1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 10

proportion we find different varieties of mica, basalt, opals, quartzites and volcanic rocks, all of them local.

As regards size, reduced inclusions are predominant, mainly of medium and small size, either combined or just the former. In the case of CChM and CC1A there is also a small percentage of fragments with size unselected inclusions, especially in later moments. This trimodal distribution is made up of inclusions from many different origins, the largest being rock or quartz with extremely angular sides.

The macroscopic evidence of lipids is scarce, reaching values lower than 1% in CChM and RG6, and slightly

higher in CC1A. Almost all fragments with lipids are included in the subgroup 2b (with the exception of two sherds from CChM that fit into 1b), a subgroup characterized by the abundance of inclusions, smooth surfaces and 6mm to 8 mm thick. Anyway, this information is only partial, as we only counted the cases where the patina covers the complete surface and not those fragments with greasy lines or spots, or the deposits that may be present in the pores (Rice, 1996).

The same situation happens with use-marks, though here we have the additional problem of the fragmentation of the vessels that impedes some observations, such as the location, size and orientation of the marks. By now, we


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only counted about 15% of lines or cracks that may be originated during use, most of them in subgroup 2b, though they also appear in 2a. On the other hand, no sherd from Group 1 or 3 seems to present this kind of alterations.

UTILITARIAN POTTERY IN ANTOFAGASTA DE LA SIERRA

The panorama we have already described can provide an insight into the use of utilitarian pottery in Antofagasta de la Sierra area by the first agro-pastoral groups. Although we can argue that CC1A is not the most representative site in the subregion it is located due to its ritual use, its pottery assemblage do not differ greatly from the other sites. Furthermore, this use differentiation is exactly the feature that provides new elements for analysis.

With no doubt, the pottery assemblage in the whole is absolutely similar; moreover, it is highly probable that the pottery found in CC1A and RG6 were manufactured in sites such as CChM, where the excavations unearthed pottery production areas. Its transport is not strange, and is explained by the dynamic sedentarism model (Olivera, 1988) as movements inside the same seasonal shifting planned to feed the llamas and hunt wild camelids in order to supplement the agro-pastoral resources in the residential base.

However, some significant differences lead to postulate additional questions. Group representation is quite calling, particularly the virtual absence of Group 3 in CC1A and RG6. In an earlier paper (Vidal, 2002), we postulated that this group would be technically ideal by its morpho-functional features for storage, specially grains or bulky substances. In CChM there is an important reduction of these recipients in the later moments of the settlement, a time that, paradoxically, corresponds to an agricultural expansion. We suggested somewhere, considering available data of later cultivation areas in the region (Vigliani, 2001), that storage activities and probably initial processing may have shifted for that time to the production area itself, arriving at the residential base only the necessary amount of processed grain. In a similar fashion, and especially due to its location far from agricultural production areas, storage will be strange in these higher sites. Its temporal occupation further justifies this absence, as it would be unnecessary, following the model for the use of these areas, and this pottery would be substituted by lighter recipients, equally useful for short-time storage but with a lower transportation cost.

It will also explain the abundance of the other groups, particularly Group 2, which would be useful for a variety of functions due to its technical characteristics (middle thickness walls, good surface treatment, low porosity, structural strength by inclusion composition), reinforced by the presence of sooth and lipid deposits in these recipients. It matches the findings in the lithic record (Escola, 2004b), where a strategy to reduce the

technological effort seems to be adopted; in the case of pottery, it would be by choosing recipients apt for a variety of functions.

On the contrary, this reduced inversion in effort does not explain another peculiarity of the pottery in these sites: though they are not dissimilar to the ones in the residential base in general terms, here we find only good quality materials, with a better grain selection and more careful surface treatments, inverting the representation proportions in the village. What is the reason for this selection? Perhaps it is just a strategy of risk reduction, as failed or broken recipients could be only replaced in the residential base. In the case of CC1A we can postulate certain aesthetic or symbolic intentionality associated, though we are considering only utilitarian pottery (the decorated record is scarce and limited only to some grey polished sherds). In both cases, the selection is notorious and telling in a context where these recipients will be used for a short time each visit.

Another explanation, that is complementary, would postulate the seasonal reuse of the pottery in each new visit to the sites. For the lithic assemblage, Escola (2004b) has noted the possibility of abandoning artefacts for their possible later use. The same situation can be happening with the pottery: though its continual use would be sporadic, in the long time, there would be many events where the same recipient would be useful.

It will contribute to risk reduction, as it will create a “hideout” or dependable deposit (Torrence, 1989) to resort to without the need to transport all the basic gear in every movement. In that context, however, it would be fundamental to relay on good quality durable materials, in particular due to the fragility of pottery and the extreme weather conditions of the high posts.

In intermediate areas, the distance to the production centre may also justify the presence of these higher quality materials, though in the case we presented here of CC1A we cannot leave aside the influence of other factors, as we aforementioned.

A related question concerns the occupation moment of the sites. Though all three sites are easily placed in a Formative framework, with overlapping dates, the radiocarbon datings for Real Grande archaeological locality are quite earlier or slightly later than the ones for CChM. The datings are neither abundant nor determinant enough to postulate a settlement chronology; it is interesting, however, that pottery in the high post shows a tendency to assimilate to the later moments of the village, with extremely low proportions of the pottery typical of the earlier moments in the residential base. Is it a representation problem due to site alteration? Does it indicate that these gorges were not used in early moments? Or were they only used for a short time, so short that the carrying of pottery recipients was not justified? The last possibility seems to be partially availed by the paleoenvironmental studies aforementioned: during the first occupations of CChM, the higher


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humidity in the basin and nearby area may have favoured subsistence exploitation in a higher spatial scale, with no need to rely on the high gorges –it is important to remember that in intermediate areas the pottery record is more homogeneous. As the region gets more arid, the resources from areas such as RG6 would be more necessary due to a lower fertility in the basin. Together with the demographic increase, it will not only coincide with the more intense agricultural activity found in the profiles but also with a more important presence of the archaeological record at the end of the Formative period in more distant areas also related to the residential base.

Bibliography

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An Insight into the Integral Analysis of Formative Pottery in Southern Argentine Puna

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