The aim of this study is to evaluate the mobility, subsistence, and spatial-use strategies of hunter-gatherer populations that occupied the Lapataia-Acigami Valley (Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego) during the Late Holocene. To this end, we present a preliminary analysis of the archaeological materials recovered from site PNTF1 (Tierra del Fuego National Park). The study revealed a recurrent use of peri-coastal space characterized by the integral exploitation of guanaco, both as a food resource and as raw material for tool production. Remains of mollusks, fish, birds, and marine mammals are present in lower proportions, indicating a complementary role. In conclusion, the evidence from PNTF1 highlights the importance of interior areas immediately adjacent to the coast in the organization of mobility and in the integration of different ecological niches. In this regard, the case study supports the idea that peri-coastal valleys may have functioned as corridors in the circulation of hunter-gatherers between different environments, which in turn may have been associated with winter and spring guanaco hunting.
Lithic raw material provenance provides insights into the movements of people and rocks, the practices involved in their acquisition, and the existence of social networks of interaction among different groups. Even rocks represented in very low frequencies may hold significant information potential. Here, we present the petrographic analysis of a set of rocks previously classified as indeterminate, which are recorded in minor proportions within the lithic assemblages of early sites in the east-central sector of the Tandilia range (Pampean Region, Argentina). Petrographic and mineralogical characterization allowed the identification of four rock types. Their possible sources are assessed considering different sectors of mountain ranges of Buenos Aires Province, as well as areas farther northeast in Entre Rios or Uruguay, within the framework of both every day and long-distance mobility. Macroscopic comparisons indicated the presence of the same lithologies at different early sites in the area, strengthening the connections among them. Finally, we discuss the challenges of determining provenance based on the heterogeneous descriptions provided by various petrographic studies, and highlight the need to develop lithotheques and open-access digital repositories containing both archaeological and geological samples. The development of interdisciplinary and collaborative projects is essential to achieve these goals.
The practice of adding grog to ceramic pastes is recurrent in the native pottery traditions of the southern South American lowlands (northeast Argentina). Variability in the proportion of grog incorporated into ceramic pastes constitutes a central topic of discussion. This issue has been addressed in studies of Goya-Malabrigo, a widely recognized analytical unit in the archaeology of the region. This study explores the use of grog in Goya-Malabrigo pottery based on the 1948 Gonz & aacute;lez collection. A previous macroscopic analysis provided a classification based primarily on the proportion and size of grog in the pastes. Petrographic examination of thin sections was employed as a complementary technique. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analyses. The results indicate that variability in grog content, in particular, and in non-plastic inclusions, in general, is not an effective criterion for differentiating the samples. The variability observed in mineral inclusions is consistent with that of the clays available at a mesoregional scale. The low proportion of grog suggests that its addition may be related to deep-rooted traditions.
En este trabajo se estudia el arte rupestre de las localidades Ham Ham y Campo Mariano Huentenao, ubicadas en la porción noroccidental de la meseta de Somuncurá. Se analizan los atributos tecnomorfológicos de los motivos, se plantea una secuencia de arte rupestre y se evalúa el contexto arqueológico asociado. Los resultados se integran a la información arqueológica de otros sectores norpatagónicos comprendidos entre el bosque cordillerano y la costa Atlántica. Se definen cuatro momentos de producción de arte rupestre en el área de estudio, que se ubican tentativamente entre ca. 3000 años AP y tiempos recientes. La secuencia no se interpreta en términos del reemplazo de una tendencia artística por otra. Por el contrario, muestra una historia compleja que se manifiesta a través de una larga perduración de determinadas técnicas y formas, principalmente los motivos circulares realizados por percusión. Algunos de ellos se asemejan a objetos de uso ceremonial trascendentales en la cosmovisión Mapuche, y aportan elementos para discutir las relaciones transcordilleranas que existieron en momentos tardíos.
El objetivo de este trabajo es efectuar una evaluación sobre las estrategias de movilidad, subsistencia y uso del espacio de las poblaciones cazadoras-recolectoras que ocuparon el valle Lapataia-Acigami (canal Beagle, Tierra del Fuego) durante el Holoceno tardío. Para ello se presenta el análisis preliminar de los materiales arqueológicos recuperados en el sitio PNTF1 (Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego 1). El estudio permitió identificar un uso recurrente del espacio peri-costero caracterizado por un aprovechamiento integral del guanaco, tanto como recurso alimenticio como materia prima para la confección artefactual. Los restos de moluscos, peces, aves y mamíferos marinos estuvieron presentes en proporciones menores, lo que indica un rol complementario. En conclusión, la evidencia obtenida en PNTF1 destaca la importancia de los espacios interiores inmediatos a la costa en la organización de la movilidad y en la integración de distintos nichos ecológicos. En este sentido, el caso de estudio respalda la idea de que los valles pericosteros pudieron funcionar como corredores en la circulación de cazadores-recolectores entre diferentes ambientes, lo cual a su vez pudo estar asociado a la caza invernal y primaveral de guanacos.
