Browsing by Author "Martinon-Torres, Marcos"

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    Crucibles and moulds from Los Nogales: Technological study of technical ceramics from the Late Period in the Aconcagua Valley, Central Chile
    (2021) Plaza Calonge, Maria Teresa; Pavlovic, Daniel; Martinon-Torres, Marcos
    The spread of the Tawantinsuyu in the Aconcagua Valley (Central Chile) is thought to have been culturally mediated, avoiding military coercion, and thus leading to different forms of cultural acceptance, resistance or hybridisation. However, very few studies have discussed how this process is reflected in the metallurgical production during the Late Period (ca. AD 14001530). The result of a technological study on a group of crucibles and moulds from Los Nogales (Aconcagua valley), using optical microscopy, petrography, SEM-EDS, XRD and FTIR is presented here. Results indicate that the raw materials used were local igneous rocks obtained from alluvial deposits, mixed with small amounts of smectite-montmorillonite clay. Moulds also contained bone ash as temper. Firing temperatures were estimated between 800-850 degrees C for moulds and above 900 degrees C for crucibles. Their manufacture technology and morphology indicate that these technical ceramics were made following a technological tradition originated in northwest Argentina that was introduced to the Aconcagua valley during the expansion of the Tawantinsuyu, and accepted by local communities.
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    Technology, life histories and circulation of gold objects during the Middle Period (AD 400-1000): A perspective from the Atacama Desert, Chile
    (2022) Plaza Calonge, Maria Teresa; Figueroa Larre, Valentina; Martinon-Torres, Marcos
    Studies of archaeological goldwork in the Americas are increasingly revealing a rich variety of context-specific ways in which gold items were produced and valued, but research attention has largely focused on visually striking artefacts. However, in the south-central Andes, goldwork is described essentially as a 'sheet technology'-a definition that tends to downplay the potential complexity and cultural significance of this technology in such an extensive and varied region. Here, we employ a life-history approach to explore the existence of particular traditions within this large area. We present chemical and microscopic analyses, using pXRF, SEM-EDS, PIXE and digital microscopy, of 142 gold and silver objects from San Pedro de Atacama (northern Chile), recovered in seven cemeteries dated to the Middle Period (AD 400-1000). Our results reveal a heterogeneous assemblage where compositions, techniques, designs and skill levels vary, suggesting that gold artefacts circulated and were imported from different areas of the south-central Andes, such as Tiwanaku, Cochabamba and northwest Argentina. We also identify for the first time two distinct technological traditions used in San Pedro: small-scale goldwork production, and a tradition of modifying and reusing imported objects by cutting, perforating and separating object parts. Considering the depositional contexts, we propose that the funerary ritual at San Pedro was a key factor in the development of this local goldwork. Our research demonstrates that even small and unimpressive artefacts can be successfully interrogated from archaeological perspectives with integrative approaches that go beyond overly generalising perspectives of gold as an exotic status marker.
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    Technology, Use and Reuse of Gold during the Middle Period: The Case of Casa Parroquial, Atacama Desert, Chile
    (2021) Plaza, Maria Teresa; Martinon-Torres, Marcos
    The life-histories of gold artefacts can provide rich insight into technology and culture, but so far the potential of this research approach has not been exploited in the south central Andes. Here we present the analysis of 34 gold and silver objects from the Middle Period cemetery of Casa Parroquial (San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile), using pXRF, SEM-EDS, PIXE and digital microscopy. Chemical analyses detected variable compositions (2.4-73.1 per cent Ag and 0.2-3.4 per cent Cu) suggesting that artisans used both native gold and artificial gold-silver-copper alloys. Based on their manufacturing techniques, quality and designs, we identify two working styles, one technically more 'careful' than the other. Given their elemental and technological variety, together with the lack of local production evidence, we propose that these artefacts were imported as finished objects from Tiwanaku or Cochabamba and northwest Argentina. However, we identify a series of objects that were modified or reshaped as they entered a new cultural context, revealing complex life-histories. Modifications used relatively simple mechanical means: punching, cutting and folding, most likely made in multi-craft contexts by non-metallurgists from San Pedro.