ARQUEOLOGíA E HISTORIA URBANA: INVESTIGACIONES EN LA CIUDAD Y EL CONURBANO MENDOCINO

with funding from the national secyt and the cuyo university-secyt we have been able to carry out archaeological and historical research in the foundational historical center of the city of mendoza, as well as in the adjacent district of pedro molina, at the department of guaymallén, both in the province of mendoza, argentina. these district were part of the communal land that was assigned to the first farming colonial settlers, and currently comprises a strip, from west to east, between beltrán street in the city of mendoza, and continues in molina street of guaymallén, between salta street (west limit of the city) and allayme street (east limit of guaymallén). we carried out test pits in different properties, and in some of them we exacavarted larger areas (as in the convent and church of the dominican order). we contrast the sedimentological characteristics from the newly excavated area with previous ones. our results recognized different urban pattern in the foundation of mendoza that we contrast with historic documents. particularly, we also shed light on conspicuous old buildings of the city, and the presence of aboriginal people that lived in the region before the spaniards invasion