Participatory cartography as a theoretical-methodological proposal for an archaeology of the latin american landscape. An example from the Calchaquí Valleys (Argentina)

Abstract

Objective/context: Archaeology has employed developments in standard (western) cartography as a technique to understand and analyze archaeological landscapes usually thought of as belonging exclusively to past societies and which overlook the fact that today’s populations incorporate these material traces into their daily lives in multiple ways. This work proposes landscape archaeology based in a local sense, developing narratives that critique the place occupied by archaeology in past and present local histories. Methodology: We briefly consider the role played by Latin American archaeologies in the discourses of modernity linked to the emergence of States. We review how the construction of the objects of archaeological study leads to the denial of local communities as the subjects of their own valid knowledge; taking as an example the development of archaeological practice in the Calchaquí Valleys of northwestern Argentina. Finally, we present participatory cartography from its main theoretical principles and tools, and the first initiatives undertaken by us in the area. Conclusions: We consider that participatory cartography has benefits for both the discipline of archaeology and for local populations as a potential tool in the dialogue of knowledge and mul-tivocality. Originality: The proposal we present is that participatory cartography is an appropriate theoretical-methodological approach for recognizing and incorporating the local spatial knowledge of archaeological landscapes held by present-day communities; thus enriching their study and enabling a more participatory and sustainable management of archaeological heritage.