Colonial and Republican heritage. Characterization of its techniques and materialities in the province of Jujuy (Argentina)

Abstract

Colonial and Early Republican heritage of northwestern Argentina has been highly valued by both institutional and academic spheres throughout the twentieth century and today. In this context, although they are ecclesiastical, institutional and domestic earthen architectures, the focus of their studies and assessment has been mostly placed on their aesthetic and morphological features. This has left aside the complexity of its construction techniques, associated with knowledge and practices that are constituents of that same heritage and its relation with local communities that sustain them over time. This article will consider four cases in Quebrada de Humahuaca and Puna of the province of Jujuy from which will be analyzed the density of techniques used, taking into account continuities and specially the variability that occurs in each case around to the intrinsic characteristics of the materials and techniques developed. With this objective, a comparative analysis of the cases will be carried out, based on the articulation between the field work and the study of soil in the laboratory.