Application of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to ceramics and clay sources for the late period ( c . 950 years BP) in the Southern Argentine Puna: Interweaving sources, objects and practices

Abstract

The study of raw materials used in the production of ceramic objects involves studying the materiality of the objects themselves while providing insights into the factors that guided the choice of a particular resource over another. Simultaneously, this article focusses on the social contexts in which these objects were produced. We present the results obtained through an Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) of ceramics from the Corral Alto site (Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca). The results suggest that most ceramic pieces were locally manufactured, contrasting with earlier periods and coinciding with the emergence of new ways of dwelling in the Southern Argentine Puna.