![Sample our Humanities journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5939/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Humanities.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
The opening and closing of spaces have been extensively documented at an ethnographic level in the Andes. In an archaeological context, though I have numerous examples, there are not many examples that testify to the abandonment of a particular enclosure or settlement. However, with research and fieldwork undertaken in Juella, Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy Province, I have made a significant archaeological discovery – that of Enclosure 94 (R94), which includes a door closure, the interment of a foetus in the occupation floor, and the intentional burial of some goods. I consider this activity as part of an occupation that is restricted to the Late Intermediate Period (ad 1250–1450), that the material found and analyzed here is related to ritual and ceremonial activity of the closure and also the symbolic ‘death’ of this space. Based on radiocarbon dates obtained from this particular enclosure and its relationship to the overall site, I believe that this deposition is not only associated with the abandonment of the structure, but it is closely linked to the site at a time of the Inca conquest of the region.
Acknowledgments
First, I thank the Juella community to allowing my team to undertake our work there. My gratitude also goes to Cristian Jacob and Dr Felix Acuto for their work support over the years. Thanks are also due to all those who participated in the fieldwork in Juella. Finally, I would like to dedicate this paper to the memory of Dr Jorge Palma.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Iván Leibowicz
Ivan Leibowicz is an archaeologist: Ph.D. University of Buenos Aires, post doc at UNAM (México). Currently he is an Assistant Researcher at CONICET (Instituto Multidisciplinario de Historia y Ciencias Humanas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina. His research is on the archaeology of NW Argentina, Inca expansion and Late cultures of this region. He has authored numerous publications, both books and journal articles.