Archaeological narratives from the period of contact with the spanish conquerors in Calchaquí valleys until mid-XX century

Abstract

We analyze several narratives written from the archeology field on the History of local societies in the Calchaquí valleys during the period of contact with the Spanish conquerors (1535-1665). We connect these narratives with their historical context and examine if the archaeological production expanded the incision that different official narratives created between pre-Hispanic past and Republican present in the area. We inquire on the narrative developed from the beginnings of archaeology to mid-twentieth century produc-tion to see how past is shaped through the materiality chosen as relevant and we relate it to the official historical narratives, those that have been promoted and used from entities that manage power apparatuses. We propose a narrative coherence between both groups and discuss the interrelationships between the scientific field of archeology and the broader political context.