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Este artículo analiza las prácticas funerarias desarrolladas en una vivienda del poblado prehispánico conocido como Pucará de Tilcara, con la intención de evaluar los atributos de pertenencia social entre los diferentes tipos de inhumaciones hasta el momento detectadas y excavadas. Se presenta la caracterización de las sepulturas identificadas en la vivienda denominada Unidad Habitacional 1 del Barrio Corrales. Durante la época incaica, momento en que el Pucará llegó a constituirse como cabecera política de la región, esta unidad habitacional sufrió importantes transformaciones. En el marco de la estructura económica estatal se reorganizó como casa-taller destinada principalmente a la producción alfarera y metalúrgica, ésta última desarrollada de forma especializada. Luego de su abandono como espacio de trabajo artesanal y residencial, esta vivienda pasó a ser objeto de remodelaciones y redimensionamientos con fines estrictamente funerarios. El estudio del comportamiento mortuorio ha permitido revelar los vínculos que las personas establecieron con los muertos en el ámbito doméstico. Asimismo, en una escala más amplia, a nivel intra sitio, posibilitó la comparación de las prácticas allí registradas con las identificadas en otros contextos mortuorios del Pucará. This paper analyzes the funerary practices developed at a household of the prehistoric site known as the Pucará de Tilcara, in order to evaluate attributes of social belonging among the different types of inhumations, so far detected and excavated. We also present the characterization of the sepultures identified in the so called Residential Unit 1. During the Inca occupation, when the Pucará de Tilcara became the political head of the region, this house functioned as a household and, as a workshop mostly dedicated to ceramic and specialized metallurgical production. Once abandoned, it suffered different transformations in order to be used as a mortuary place. The study of funerary behavior allowed us to reveal the relationship between the living and the death at the domestic sphere of the archaeological village. At a broader intrasite scale, the authors will compare this case to other mortuary contexts in Pucara de Tilcara. Este artigo analisa as práticas funerárias desenvolvidas numa moradia do povoado pré-hispânico conhecido como Pucará de Tilcara, com a intenção de avaliar os atributos de pertencimento social entre os diferentes tipos de inumações até o momento detectadas e escavadas. Apresenta-se a caracterização das sepulturas identificadas na moradia denominada Unidade Habitacional 1 do bairro Corrales. Durante a época incaica, momento em que o Pucará chegou a se constituir como liderança política da região, essa unidade habitacional sofreu importantes transformações. No âmbito da estrutura econômica estatal, reorganizou-se como casa-oficina, destinada principalmente à produção ceramista e metalúrgica, esta última desenvolvida de forma especializada. Após seu abandono como espaço de trabalho artesanal e residencial, essa moradia passou a ser objeto de reformas e redimensionamentos com fins estritamente funerários. O estudo do comportamento mortuário permitiu revelar os vínculos que as pessoas estabeleceram com os mortos no ambiente doméstico. Além disso, numa escala mais ampla, a nível intrassítio, possibilitou a comparação das práticas ali registradas com as identificadas em outros contextos mortuários do Pucará. Fil: Otero, Clarisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: Bordach de Mendonca, Maria de la Asuncion. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales; Argentina Fil: Mendonca, Osvaldo Juan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina

El análisis osteológico de lesiones atribuibles a violencia constituye una valiosa herramienta para el estudio de conflictos en poblaciones del pasado. Con el objeto de aportar al conocimiento de tales expresiones, se analizan, discuten e interpretan patrones y frecuencias de lesiones atribuibles a violencia en esqueletos correspondientes a distintas secuencias del desarrollo sociocultural del noroeste argentino (NOA). Se relevaron fracturas atribuibles a violencia en 130 individuos mayores de 15 años de edad, pertenecientes a cinco conjuntos óseos provenientes de cinco sitios prehistóricos. Los sitios y materiales asociados corresponden a la serie sociocultural Formativo Inferior, Desarrollos Regionales, Inca e Hispano-Indígena I. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto la existencia de episodios de violencia en toda la secuencia sociocultural representada. Aunque se observó una mayor prevalencia de individuos afectados en el Hispano-Indígena I (6/35, 17.14 %) respecto de los otros, (Formativo Inferior: 1/13, 7.69 % y Desarrollos Regionales / Inca 7/82, 8.54 %), las diferencias no resultaron estadísticamente significativas. Se concluye que los episodios de violencia se manifestaron en la región desde tiempos Formativos, verificándose ininterrumpidamente hasta el Hispano-Indígena I. Entre las posibles causas que ocasionaron las lesiones se considera la existencia de conflictos intra e intergrupo. The osteological analysis of injuries attributable to violence is a valuable tool for the study of conflict among peoples from the past. In order to contribute to the knowledge of such expressions, patterns of injuries attributable to violence found in complete skeletons (130 individuals over 15 years of age) from five different sites from northwest Argentina (NOA) are analyzed, discussed and interpreted. The osteo-logical evidence and associated materials correspond to four different sociocultural series: Lower Formative, Regional Developments, Inca and Hispanic-Indigenous I. The results show the existence of violence throughout the entire sociocultural sequence here represented. Although a higher prevalence of affected individuals was observed in the Hispanic-Indigenous I series (6/35, 17.14 %), compared to the others (Lower Formative: 1/13, 7.69 % and Regional Developments / Inca: 7/82, 8.54 %), such differences were not statistically significant. We conclude that violence is demonstrated in the region at least since the Lower Formative period, and continues until the Hispano-Indigenous I period. Among the possible causes that led to the registered violence, the existence of intra and inter-group conflicts is considered.

We explore and discuss the theoretical approaches that have shaped osteological studies in Argentina over the past several decades. Initially, from the second half of the nineteenth century until well beyond the first half of twentieth, the influence of European approaches dominated with emphases on racial types as well as diffusion theories. Human remains were considered and studied separately from their contextual associations and used mostly as sources for typological and racial analyses. Due to a growing academic influence from both American and European scholars, since the 1970s, osteological research in Argentina has become increasingly grounded in modern bioarchaeological techniques and results interpreted within bioarchaeology theories as well as those related to social dimensions of mortuary behaviour. While this development parallels changes in the field elsewhere, some bioarchaeological studies still use inappropriate samples and methods which lead to biased data analysis and overly simplistic interpretations. Furthermore, in recent years, native communities have started to claim their rights to land ownership and to the archaeological patrimony. This has become a major legal and academic issue that poses real challenges to scholars interested in the reconstruction of the past through bioarchaeological research.