A city without streets
The Tastil Archaeological Complex, located in the Quebrada del Toro (Gorge of the Bull) of Salta Province, was the largest pre-Columbian settlement in modern-day Argentina. At its peak in the 15th century, this city had an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people living at an altitude of 3,200 meters. The settlement covers approximately 18 hectares and contains over 1,200 rooms and enclosures.
The people of Tastil, often identified as part of the Atacameño culture, constructed their city with local sandstone and flat stones, or lajas, fitted together without any mortar. The urban layout is a dense, labyrinthine cluster of structures. There were no formal streets. Instead, inhabitants moved across the interconnected rooftops of the semi-subterranean buildings. Access to the homes was likely through the roof, a design that provided protection from the strong winds at this high altitude. The main plaza featured a sacred stone, or wanka, which was a center for rituals.
High-altitude economy and sudden collapse
The residents of Tastil were skilled engineers and agriculturalists. They cultivated crops like quinoa and maize on terraced plots. Important to their success was a sophisticated water management system that collected and distributed scarce water resources for irrigation. Their economy also depended heavily on llama husbandry. Llamas served as a source of wool and meat, and importantly, as pack animals for trade caravans. Tastil was a major commercial center, connecting the high Andes (Puna) with the lower valleys. Archaeologists have found items from distant locations, such as seashells from the Pacific Ocean, showing its role in a wide-ranging trade network.
Around 1450 AD, Tastil was abruptly abandoned. The reasons for its collapse are not definitively known. One theory suggests its demise was a consequence of the expansion of the Inca Empire. The Incas may have forcibly relocated the population to other centers as part of their mitma system of population transfer and control. This hypothesis is supported by the discovery of Tastil-style ceramics and buildings at nearby Inca sites. The city was left deserted by the time the Spanish arrived in the region. Swedish archaeologist Eric Boman rediscovered the ruins in 1903, and major scientific investigation and restoration began in 1967, led by a team from the University of La Plata. The site was declared a National Historic Monument of Argentina in 1997.