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16t’ Venice Architecture Biennale YALA Program, competition proposal
Is it possible to develop a sustainable archaeological tourism in the Maule Region? Thirteen years after its discovery, one of the oldest indigenous cemeteries in the world is in complete abandonment. Without a clear governmental agenda that puts it in value, the archaeological monument hides an incredible cultural scienti fic potential, as well as the ability to activate a local economy with global impact.
And “ValorizationTutuquén?of
In 2005, during the construction of the police station in Tutuquén, south west of Curicó, Chilean Central Valley, workers found a discovery that continues to interest researchers from different areas of archeology: an indigenous cemetery that after radiocarbon studies in Miami, The United States, date it with an age of over 10,500 years, greater than Chinchorro Mummies, Mayan Pyramids or the Ziggurats of Mesopotamia.
On the one hand, this situation forces us to review the Latin American scenario regarding the protection, dis semination and exploitation of archaeological resources, examine our local scenario, its scientific and cultural potential, economic and tourism projection, but also the scarcity of political agenda and public infrastructure that not only manages to receive these resources, but also encourage cultural transmission through archi tectural initiatives to understand the context of our indigenous peoples, especially in the current contingent scenario (that some politicians describe as a real Mapuche Guerrilla), a potential mediation tool in the indi genous conflict.
On the other hand, the rivalry of local indigenous communities for appropriating the site, reports of exca vations without the required authorization, the authorities’ interest in controlling it, but without a defined program, generate uncertainty regarding their future and conservation.
Archaeological Monument of the Tutuquén Indigenous Cemetery, Architecture as a media ting tool in the Chile-Argentina indigenous conflict”
Keywords: Cultural infrastructure, Valorization, Indigenous conflict, Architecture, Archeology
With an interesting archaeological collection that includes bone remains, textiles, ceramics, zooarchaeo logical and bioanthropological material, as well as its evolutionary history in cult and funerary that lasted for thousands of years, the discovery is considered one of the most important in Latin America, both for its archaeological versatility as the burial ceremonies used by the Pre-Columbian peoples of the area, a reference However,worldwide.as the Maule Region did not have an infrastructure capable of hosting both its conservation and re search, the archaeological remains were moved and the site abandoned, exposed to looting of archaeological site for the sale of products in the black market. As if it were taken from an Indiana Jones movie, the archaeo logical looting is an unfortunate reality due in part to the lack of interest in promoting a public agenda that highlights the archaeological monuments, their studies and provides the necessary tools for their protection and dissemination.