Los hornillos de tierra cocida en Las Travesiás de San Luis (Argentina). Primeros aportes para una propuesta Functional

Abstract

THE BURNED SOIL FEATURES OF LAS TRAVESÍAS DE SAN LUIS, ARGENTINA: AN INITIAL CONTRIBUTION TO A FUNCTIONAL APPROACH. The combustion features known as hornillos are a conspicuous element of the archaeological record at numerous sites in the central region of Argentina. These features have been described and studied since the beginning of the last century by a number of authors, some of whom made functional and symbolic inferences. As part of a project in the Dry Chaco of San Luis where these features can be found, an initial functional approach was developed. Two strategies were adopted: First, an archaeological study of regional scale that included geomorphological analysis and radiocarbon dating was developed; and, second, ethnobiological studies were carried out with rural residents aimed at characterizing aspects of water resource management. The new methods, scale of analysis, and recovered data suggest the hornillos functioned as cisterns for water collection, conservation, and decontamination.