Inca provincial pottery of Central Western Argentina (CWA)

The sample studied includes 85 Inca provincial ceramic individuals, 2 experimental ceramics prepared from clays collected at Ranchillos (MDZ140) and RT285 (MDZ149), and 1 firing structure unearthed at RT285 (MDZ150). The experimental ceramics and the firing structure were included to get some information about available clays in the area. Twenty-two out of 85 are ceramics unearthed at 12 sites from the Central Western Argentina (CWA), from three different areas: Uco Valley (n = 22), Uspallata Valley (n = 35, plus the MDZ140 experimental ceramic), and the foothills south of San Juan province (n = 28, plus the MDZ149 experimental ceramic and the MDZ150 firing structure). The sample includes the possible production centres of Tambillos, in Uspallata Valley, and RT285, in the foothills south of San Juan province, their possible distribution channels, and examples of all types of Inca provincial pottery (Viluco fine or ceremonial vessels –urpu, ollas and pucos–, and utilitarian storage vessels). This archaeometric study have comprised, besides scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) and X-ray diffraction (PXRD).