Waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the Tacuil Pukara (Calchaquí valley, Salta, northwestern Argentina)
Abstract This paper focuses on the Tacuil pukara, a settlement of the Late or Regional Development Period (circa 900-1400 AD) located in the upper sector of the Calchaquí valley, in the present province of Salta, at 2700 meters above sea level, on a transversal ravine that connects the val...
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
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Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires
2026
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/esnoa/article/view/17304 |
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I28-R252-article-173042026-03-30T18:04:21Z Waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the Tacuil Pukara (Calchaquí valley, Salta, northwestern Argentina) Waka’s, muertos y pukaras: el papel de los ancestros en la conformación territorial de Tacuil, siglos X a XV (valle Calchaquí, noroeste argentino) Castellanos, María Cecilia pukara- Calchaquí valley- wak'as- fertility- interior/exterior. pukara- valle Calchaquí- wak’as- fertilidad- interior/exterior Abstract This paper focuses on the Tacuil pukara, a settlement of the Late or Regional Development Period (circa 900-1400 AD) located in the upper sector of the Calchaquí valley, in the present province of Salta, at 2700 meters above sea level, on a transversal ravine that connects the valley with the puna. This pukara is associated to another settlement in height, to low settlements and agricultural fields; and it presents in its walls scenes of rupestrian art and natural hollows that conform funerary spaces. The link between the pukara and the dead is analyzed; the relationship between internal space and external space (or inside and outside) is discussed and reflected upon, and the possibility is raised that the pukara was constituted as a wak'a, that is, as the materialization of an ancestrality sustained by a vitality that presents a generative, fertilizing power that regenerates and ensures social reproduction. Under this role, this pukara would have participated actively in daily life, maintaining a social and territorial role. Este trabajo se centra en el pukara I de Tacuil, asentamiento del Período de Desarrollos Regionales o Tardío (circa 900-1400 d. C.) localizado en el sector alto del valle Calchaquí, en la actual provincia de Salta, a 2700 msnm, sobre una quebrada transversal que comunica al valle con la puna. Este pukara se asocia a otro asentamiento en altura, a poblados bajos y a campos agrícolas; y presenta en sus paredes escenas de arte rupestre y oquedades naturales que conforman espacios funerarios. Se analiza el vínculo entre el pukara y los muertos; se discute y reflexiona desde la relación del espacio interno y el espacio externo (o el adentro y el afuera) y se plantea la posibilidad de que el pukara se haya constituido como una wak’a, es decir, como la materialización de una ancestralidad sustentada en una vitalidad que presenta poder genésico, fecundante, que regenera y asegura la reproducción social. Bajo ese papel, este pukara habría participado de manera activa en la vida cotidiana, manteniendo un rol social y territorial. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires 2026-03-30 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/esnoa/article/view/17304 10.34096/esnoa.n28.17304 Estudios Sociales del NOA; Núm. 28 (2025) 2362-2482 0329-8256 spa https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/esnoa/article/view/17304/15979 Derechos de autor 2026 María Cecilia Castellanos |
| institution |
Universidad de Buenos Aires |
| institution_str |
I-28 |
| repository_str |
R-252 |
| container_title_str |
Estudios sociales del NOA |
| language |
Español |
| format |
Artículo revista |
| topic |
pukara- Calchaquí valley- wak'as- fertility- interior/exterior. pukara- valle Calchaquí- wak’as- fertilidad- interior/exterior |
| spellingShingle |
pukara- Calchaquí valley- wak'as- fertility- interior/exterior. pukara- valle Calchaquí- wak’as- fertilidad- interior/exterior Castellanos, María Cecilia Waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the Tacuil Pukara (Calchaquí valley, Salta, northwestern Argentina) |
| topic_facet |
pukara- Calchaquí valley- wak'as- fertility- interior/exterior. pukara- valle Calchaquí- wak’as- fertilidad- interior/exterior |
| author |
Castellanos, María Cecilia |
| author_facet |
Castellanos, María Cecilia |
| author_sort |
Castellanos, María Cecilia |
| title |
Waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the Tacuil Pukara (Calchaquí valley, Salta, northwestern Argentina) |
| title_short |
Waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the Tacuil Pukara (Calchaquí valley, Salta, northwestern Argentina) |
| title_full |
Waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the Tacuil Pukara (Calchaquí valley, Salta, northwestern Argentina) |
| title_fullStr |
Waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the Tacuil Pukara (Calchaquí valley, Salta, northwestern Argentina) |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the Tacuil Pukara (Calchaquí valley, Salta, northwestern Argentina) |
| title_sort |
waka's, dead and pukara: reflections from the tacuil pukara (calchaquí valley, salta, northwestern argentina) |
| description |
Abstract
This paper focuses on the Tacuil pukara, a settlement of the Late or Regional Development Period (circa 900-1400 AD) located in the upper sector of the Calchaquí valley, in the present province of Salta, at 2700 meters above sea level, on a transversal ravine that connects the valley with the puna. This pukara is associated to another settlement in height, to low settlements and agricultural fields; and it presents in its walls scenes of rupestrian art and natural hollows that conform funerary spaces.
The link between the pukara and the dead is analyzed; the relationship between internal space and external space (or inside and outside) is discussed and reflected upon, and the possibility is raised that the pukara was constituted as a wak'a, that is, as the materialization of an ancestrality sustained by a vitality that presents a generative, fertilizing power that regenerates and ensures social reproduction. Under this role, this pukara would have participated actively in daily life, maintaining a social and territorial role.
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| publisher |
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires |
| publishDate |
2026 |
| url |
https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/esnoa/article/view/17304 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT castellanosmariacecilia wakasdeadandpukarareflectionsfromthetacuilpukaracalchaquivalleysaltanorthwesternargentina AT castellanosmariacecilia wakasmuertosypukaraselpapeldelosancestrosenlaconformacionterritorialdetacuilsiglosxaxvvallecalchaquinoroesteargentino |
| first_indexed |
2026-04-13T05:04:19Z |
| last_indexed |
2026-04-13T05:04:19Z |
| _version_ |
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