ARCHAEOMETRY OF EARTHEN BUILDING MATERIALS FROM PALO BLANCO VILLAGE, CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA

This paper presents the results of archaeometric studies carried out on samples of earthen building materials corresponding to rammed earth, concretions, collapsed walls, and control sediments from Palo Blanco village, Fiambala Valley, Department of Tinogasta, Catamarca, Argentina, which was occupied throughout the first millennium AD. Chemical and mineralogical composition were analyzed and physical and mechanical properties determined. The objective of the study was to contribute to the characterization of building techniques and the understanding of technological choices involved in raw material selection and preparation. The results obtained are discussed based on similar studies carried out on earthen building materials from other areas of southwestern Catamarca and northwest La Rioja.