Estudio de la alfarería del sitio Calera (partido de Olavarría, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina) desde la perspectiva del estilo tecnológico

Abstract

Calera was interpreted as an archaeological ritual site, constituted by the intentional burial of diverse kinds of material remains, which played different roles in the ceremonies and/or feasts that took place in the surrounding area, during diachronic events, in the Late Holocene. Pottery record found in Calera share some characteristics with others from the Pampean region, but also some of its features are exceptional, such as its deposition context, associated remains and the depiction of an anthropomorphic figure on one of the vessels. The characterization of ceramic technological style, based on macroscopic and microscopic analysis, allowed to infer the technological choices made on different stages of the manufacturing process (e.g., selection of different provisioning sources or raw materials mixtures, intentional addition of grog, different techniques of colored layer application, execution of a variety of decorative representations) and to explore the possible determining constraints (e.g., environmental, functional, symbolical) that underlying on each one of them. On the basis of partial reconstruction of some vessels, observation of morphological and dimensional attributes, presence of decorative representations and use-alterations, it is proposed that some of them were used to cook food on fire, while others were used to serve food or beverages. Calera's pottery was not only used for cooking and serving, possibly in the context of ceremonies or feasts, but its intentional burial, in association with various types of remains, would have had a symbolic and aesthetic sense.