QUESTIONS OF ANDEAN PREHISPANIC METALLURGY. NEW PROPOSALS FROM THE QUILLAY FURNANCES (CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA)
INTERROGANTES DE LA METALURGIA PREHISPÁNICA ANDINA. NUEVAS PROPUESTAS DESDE LOS HORNOS DE QUILLAY (CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA)
Josefina Spina, Marco Giovannetti and Edgardo Ferraris.
The archaeological site Quillay (Catamarca, Argentina) is considered as a large scale ore processing/smelting center given the presence of numerous furnaces with metallurgical functions. This paper presents the results of excavations of the combustion structures identified at the site. The new studies allowed knowing the complete morphology of an important set of furnaces, which exhibit features that differ from those accounted for in Andean wayras. In this paper, we give a detailed description of the furnaces, present the preliminary results of the technical analysis of slags, and propose some interpretations which suggest the operation of these structures.
Tags: Quillay, smelting furnace, Late/Inka period