Traces of the absent: Evidence of textile production in the foothill region of jujuy, argentina (2000 AP)

Abstract

Tropical environments present a constant challenge for archaeological research: the disappearance of hundreds of materials due to poor conditions for their preservation. In this case, the best examples are those materials connected to textile practices. Fibers of different origins are not expected to survive in such adverse conditions, since by their organic nature they are degradable. Nevertheless, differents elements implicated in the chaîne opératoire of production and the contexts in which they were used, can provide evidence that demonstrates the existence of the seemingly absent, and advance the knowledge of the technical aspects of this class of materials. Here, we present the findings of textile imprints in the valley regions of San Francisco (2000 BP) and analyze the implements that were used for their production, as well as ceramic representations that point to the possible use of these for clothing. The findings of imprints of knitted textiles that could have been made with yarns from Bromeliaceae family reveal the persistence of one class of textile that reaches from the hunter gatherer period (8000 BP) up to today among the populations of the Chaco and the Andean foothills.