By
Federico Gonzalez Estefane (organiser)
Summary
We will formulate and discuss a research design aimed at the study of an Andean vertical archipelago located in the Andean western transect of the 18°S, between Arica and Carangas (Chile and Bolivia). The Vertical archipelago is a paradigmatic model elaborated from the analysis of Early colonial census (XVI-XVII centuries) which evidence the widespread existence of complex territorial formations, inherited from the Late pre-Hispanic period imperial geopolitics (XV-XVI centuries), and characterized by their extension through distinct ecological floors in order to directly access complementary resources. Due to their spatial discontinuity and entanglement, as well as their social heterogeneity and non-exclusive sovereignty, these multi-situated territorial formations have constituted a challenging topic for archaeological research, and few macro-regional approaches have been carried out so far.Here, we will base our discussion on the results of an ongoing archaeological project in the Altos de Arica aimed at documenting the territorial dynamics of the Carangas Archipelago through the transition between the pre-Hispanic and Early colonial periods (www.altosarica.com). We will discuss the potentials and limitations encountered while merging heterogeneous archaeological proxies and regional geodatabases, for macro-regional settlement patterns analysis. Finally, we will introduce and discuss an ABM approach based on a non-geographical modelling of the same research question.