Abstract
At the lower sites of the Rincón Chico archaeological locality (Yocavil Valley, Catamarca, Argentina), evidence of metallurgical activities dating to the Late Pre-Hispanic period (10th–16th centuries) has been recorded. While Sites 12, 13, and 14 show limited evidence of bronze manufacture, Site 15 stands out as an intensive metallurgical workshop. This study presents a mineralogical analysis of bluish-green materials from this sector, expanding the available dataset. We employed macroscopic characterization, stereomicroscopy, and X-ray diffraction to examine surface features and determine mineral composition. Results indicate a diverse assemblage of bluish-green materials, including atacamite. Most atacamite specimens correspond to small, angular fragments, although thin, smoothed pieces are also present. Turquoise, rarer in the assemblage, occurs mainly in worked forms such as beads, as well as in flakes. Rather than indicating strictly separate functional domains, these patterns point to practices in which technological, decorative, and potentially symbolic dimensions overlapped. Other green minerals are also present and are discussed in relation to metallurgical and artisanal evidence, revealing a greater mineralogical diversity than previously recognized. As a complementary line of evidence, malacological material was examined macroscopically to further contextualize the productive activities documented at the site.