Abstract

MANCINI, Clara Elisa  and  TOMMEI, Constanza Inés. The institutionalization of heritage in Quebrada de Humahuaca. The case of Purmamarca. Cuad. Fac. Humanid. Cienc. Soc., Univ. Nac. Jujuy [online]. 2014, n.46, pp.41-68. ISSN 1668-8104.

In 2003, Quebrada de Humahuaca was proclaimed as World Heritage by UNESCO. However, the institutionalization of heritage in this territory began at least in the early twentieth century. Within this complex process there is the influence of several actions (academic, tourism, legislation, among others). As part of this research we analysed here how the academic knowledge is linked to the valorisation of some objects, places and landscape. We also studied the regulations, the actions for conservation and the recovery of certain heritage assets. Finally, we examine how the expert knowledge and the political power relate to each other. In order to do so, we take as a case study Purmamarca, a town from Quebrada de Humahuaca, that has been recognized as a place of historical and tourist interest to preserve since the early twentieth century until today.             This process of selection and valorisation of heritage has had different stages and forms that can be sum up to three: The moment of the objects (mainly the archaeological and architectural ones), the moment of the urban centres, and moment of the landscapes. In that journey, some objects and practices were highlighted and others had been miss looked by the experts and the regulations from the political power

Keywords : Academic knowledge; Heritage; Political Power; Purmamarca; Quebrada de Humahuaca.