Sistema de asentamiento prehispánico en la Sierra Meridional de Cha？i (Salta, Argentina)

the area of research is located in the southern area of the cha？i mountain, salta province, argentina. the spatial and distributional structure of the archaeological sites and nearby mountain ranges has a great potential for research. these attributes, both qualitative and quantitative, allow the study of the variability and complexity of the settlement system in the region. our perspective is based in the evolution of the cultural landscape and the process of geopolitical change. the archaeological record reveals a recurrence in the settlement system, and we proposed a hypothetical model for the occupation of space in the regional development and inka periods. in this paper, different forms of power and possible emergent situations of social inequality are analyzed during these periods.