Inka occupation of enclosure 1- Kancha II, at El Shincal de Quimivil (Catamarca, Argentina) María G. Couso a , Reinaldo A. Moralejo b, * , Marco A. Giovannetti b , Luis M. del Papa c , María C. Páez b a División de Arqueología, MLP, FCNyM, UNLP, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina b CONICET, División de Arqueología, MLP, FCNyM, UNLP, Paseo del Bosque s/n,1900 La Plata, Argentina c CONICET, Cátedra de Anatomía Comparada, FCNyM, UNLP, Calle 64 entre diag 113 y 120 s/n,1900 La Plata, Argentina article info Article history: Available online 7 January 2011 abstract The territory of the Inka once covered parts of the present-day countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, as their political control spread across South America’s Andean region. The site of El Shincal de Quimivil, located in the western part of the province of Catamarca in northwestern Argentina, is thought to have served as one of the most important provincial capitals within this terri- torial range. This article discusses evidence from excavations conducted in Enclosure 1 of the Kancha II structure, a typical Inka architectural space located at the foot of one of the site’s artificially terraced hills. The enclosure’s excavation has yielded abundant assemblages of archaeological evidence, including ceramic, botanical, faunal, and lithic materials, as well as a centrally located mortar elevated on a plat- form of stones. The ceramic assemblages are notable for their diversity of typological styles and a high proportion of Inka-type pottery. Faunal materials include discarded food remains, especially camelid bones, and bone projectile points. Plant macroremains identified as maize (Zea mays) and algarrobo (Prosopis sp.) were present in the archaeobotanical assemblages. In terms of architectural analysis, the use of space and the materials excavated notably set this enclosure apart from other areas studied at El Shincal de Quimivil. This unique spatial arrangement is probably directly related to festival events, where El Shincal de Quimivil would have played a central role within the dynamics of the southern Inka provinces. Enclosures such as the one discussed here may have served as lodging for visitors during large gatherings. Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction During the 15th century, the Andean world witnessed the expansion of the Inka, one of the state-level societies with the greatest territorial range in the pre-Hispanic America (Fig. 1). This extensive political society exercised its influence or control over a diverse set of populations throughout the Andes. A series of social, political, and economic conditions that represented the interests of the state combined with local realities, giving shape to new social and cultural landscapes in each region that became integrated into the Tawantinsuyu (Rostworowski de Diez Canseco, 1999). The political strategies proposed to have existed in this period include those coercive in nature as well as more diplomatic ones, with fundamental variations based upon the nature of the relations established with local groups and the particular objectives of the state (Williams, 2002e2005). The nature of the Inka presence in Northwestern Argentina (NWA) was based upon these same principles. The precise timing of the entry of the Inka into NWA remains a subject of debate between those who favor the radiocarbon evidence and those who rely more upon ethnohistorical information (Bárcena, 2007). The first group believes that the Inka had already become established by the beginning of the 15th century, while the others believe that the first arrival occurred around 1470 A.D. during the reign of Topa Inka. The motive for Inka expansion into the region is also a subject of debate. Some argue that valuable mineral resources (gold, silver, and copper) were the main factor that made control of the region attractive (González, 1980; Raffino, 1981). Another perspective focuses on the attainment of new lands for agricultural expansion as well as the need for the labor sources to support this (Williams, 2000). Factors more ideological in nature also have to be considered, such as those * Corresponding author. Fax: þ54 221 425 7527. E-mail addresses: mgcouso@hotmail.com (M.G. Couso), reinaldomoralejo@ yahoo.com.ar (R.A. Moralejo), marcogiovannetti@gmail.com (M.A. Giovannetti), loesdelpapa@hotmail.com (L.M. del Papa), ceciliapaez@gmail.com (M.C. Páez). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Quaternary International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quaint 1040-6182/$ e see front matter Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.12.028 Quaternary International 245 (2011) 159e169