PRODUCTIVE SPACE IN PASTORAL ECONOMIES. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPECTATION

Abstract

Of the aspects of pastoral life which affect the archaeological record, those related with the environment, herds, and mobility are generally taken into consideration. The studies emphasize: the production of a single herd product: meat; transhumance in relation to food management and the production of food and its consumption.

The reduction obscures the understanding of the factors involved in the formation of the archaeological record if we consider that each specialized “llama”, has a particular form of management within the same productive unit.

In this regard, we must consider that the production of services (carrying) and wool (textile) influence the material record along with the production of meat (food).

The elements selected and articulated in this work are the resources (environment and herd), the production of specialized animals (from the analysis of animal fibers), the productive spaces utilized and the patterns of settlement.

With reference to factors involved in the variability of the material record we considered those which produce phenotypic variability: environmental, internal to the animal and type of economic specialization and settlement variability: mobility associated with the disponibility of pastures, water and associated with the productive diversification.

The basic information is obtained from four locations of the province of Jujuy (Argentina) (Susques, Rachaite, Timón Cruz and Pozuelos) with different husbandry strategies.