Estudio arqueobotánico de las terrazas arqueológicas de San Cristobal, comunidad Joyagshí, cantón Chunchi, provincia de Chimborazo, para el aprovechamiento turístico.

Abstract

This research aimed to carry out an archaeobotanical study of the archaeological area of San Cristóbal for tourist use, which consisted of three stages: analysis of the archaeobotanical contexts, characterization of the carpological botanical macro-rests and the formulation of action strategies for tourist use. In addition, to analyze the archaeobotanical contexts, four sampling units were opened in two types of archaeobotanical material. The characterization of carpological macro-rests consisted of the application of the flotation system to the recovered sedimentary material, floating 1260 liters of sediments, which meant the recovery of a large number of plant macro-rests, which were later identified by means of a stereomicroscope and carpological reference catalogs, among the taxa recovered with the highest density are: Calandrina ciliate (Yuyusara), Phytolacca rivinoides (Kantusara, Antusara), Vicia andicola (Alverjilla), Trifolium amabile Kunth (Andean Clover), Zea mays L (Sara, Maize), Nicandra physodes (Mamasara), Arenaria lanuginose, this last taxon of the family Caryophyllaceae with an unidentified name. Finally, a logical framework was used to establish the action strategies for tourist use; four programs were established, all aligned with the philosophical, strategic and operative proposal, to allow the sustainable development of this archaeological heritage. To sum up, the agricultural terraces of San Cristóbal have a great cultural, archaeological, and tourist potential which can be very well exploited as long as strategies oriented to archaeological research, conservation, social use of cultural heritage, and tourism management of archaeological heritage are considered, as for the recommendation is the socialization of the results of this work to the community and the GAD of Chunchi so that together generate municipal ordinances oriented to the conservation of archaeological terraces.