Social Space and the Archaeology of Inequality: Insights into Social Differences at Ambato Valley, Southern Andes, Argentina

Abstract

In this paper, I advance a concept of inequality defined theoretically from a relational perspective and sustained empirically through archaeological analysis of the volume and structure of resources available for individuals or groups of individuals. I analyze the possibility of applying Bourdieu’s concepts of field and social space to examine the former social differentiation. From this perspective, I propose a theoretical approximation to groups or social classes according to the relative positions of individuals or groups of individuals in such social space. I used a qualitative–quantitative methodology to define such social space and social fields from the archaeological record of a north Andean Argentinean pre-Hispanic society. I found that the volume of managed resources was a key factor in differentiating between people, with the space and built environment of greater importance in the realization of social inequality.