This paper proposes the use of analytical tools from taphonomy and archaeothanatology to expand knowledge about mortuary customs and site formation processes from the analysis of human bone remains. The sample comes from the Médano Petroquímica site, an inhumation area located south west of La Pampa province, Argentina, which would have been originated by hunter-gatherer societies from the Late Holocene. The results obtained from the study of four burials, one primary and three secondary (NMI=19), suggest that the cut-marks and the presence of articular relationships are consistent with practices of body manipulation at different times after death. Furthermore, a greater frequency of insects activity was recorded in the primary burial. The radiocarbon dates, along with the presence of insects, ocher, and the specific features of each burial, would largely support the synchrony in the inhumation of the features of the site.

The present work is a first approach to the analysis of the ceramics of the Ratones basin, Puna of Salta, north-western Argentina. The objective of this paper is to contribute to the study of the Inca expansion in the region and, more specifically, in the highlands of the Puna. The analyzed sample comes from the sites Cueva Inca Viejo and Abra de Minas, which show indicators of human occupation, mainly in the Late pre-Inca and Inca periods. The archaeological evidence recorded so far suggests that the intense occupation of Tawantinsuyu in the study area would be linked to turquoise mining. Additionally, a set of indicators where ceremonial architecture stands out,emphasizes the role played by ritual practices. In this context, the analysis of ceramics contributes to understanding the nature and impact of imperial expansion in the Ratones basin, mainly in relation to the organization of mining activitiesand the use of rituals as a strategy for a more effective domination.