Under the direction of Dr. Terence D'Altroy, Mr. Clarence Gifford will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. Continuing his previous research in the region, he will investigate ten Inka-period sites in the Calchaqui Valley, located in the province of Salta, northwest Argentina. The Inka empire, the largest in the pre-Columbian New World, was centered at Cuzco in the highlands of Peru and extended from Ecuador in the North, through Peru, Bolivia and into northwestern Argentina. With only a simple technology and lack of wheeled vehicles the Inka were able to weld a myriad of distinct ethnic groups into a larger functioning entity. Archaeologists wish to understand the mechanisms through which they achieved this feat. Based on both ethnohistoric and archaeological evidence, it appears that a variety of strategies were employed. Some cases involved direct conquest and the imposition of a new set of rulers and administration. In others, the local leadership was coopted and allowed to remain in power. In some areas fortifications and desecrate Inka enclaves were constructed while in other regions, favors and the manipulation of ritual and religious symbolism and were used to achieve the desired end. The Calchaqui Valley marks the approximate Southern limit of the Inka empire and thus provides a particularly relevant venue to study this process. Preliminary data indicate that the situation was complex. Forts and other Inca structures are present, yet at the same time a significant amount of local culture was preserved and many sites indicate a blend of local and Inca influence. Through the surface mapping and excavation of a series of sites, Mr. Gifford will examine local-Inka relationships. The two groups had distinct architectural styles and used different types of pottery. Inka ceramics have been studied in detail in other regions and it is known what types of vessels served religious and other symbolic as opposed to utilitarian purposes. This allows many activities conducted at sites to be determined. This research is important because it sheds new light on mechanisms of political and social organization in technological simple societies. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and contribute to training a promising young scientist.
