“Los techos del vecino”: Anthracological analysis of building burnt remains from “Iglesia de los indios” and “Piedras Blancas” (Catamarca)

Abstract

The archaeological record of Ambato valley, in northwestern Argentina, has the particularity of preserving the timber used in the construction of the settlings, due to the fires that affected the region by the 11th century. We taxonomically identified 105 sample trunks, used as posts and beams in the construction of the “Iglesia de los Indios” and “Piedras Blancas”. The anthracological analysis revealed differences in the choice of timber, as for the Piedras Blancas site the material was from the valley itself, while for the Iglesia de los Indios site the timber came from outside. Based on those results, we discuss similarities and particularities between both sites about the selection, use and meaning of the different forest resources.