Lithic artefacts and the production of metallic goods: A case of study in north-western Argentina

Abstract

The objective of our research is start to understand the processes of knapping and the use of lithic artefacts involved in the production of metallic goods in the Rincon Chico 15 metallurgical workshop, located in the Andean region of north-western Argentina, during the Late Period (ca. 900‑1500 AD). The approach combines the complementary perspective of experimental work with native copper and the use-wear analysis of lithic artefacts. Such an approach has never been carried out in technological studies of Argentine archaeology and the available information on the subject for the southern region of the Andes is very limited. The results obtained so far have allowed us to begin to recognize the diversity of traces present in lithic artefacts that could indicate their use at different stages of the production of metal goods in the workshop. We consider as an initial hypothesis that some of the recorded microscopic traces occurred during deformation, rolling or polishing work in native copper and tin bronze. Trace analysis also allowed us to observe the presence of impregnations unknown so far in other artefacts from metallurgical contexts in local archaeology.