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This paper presents the results obtained from the study and identification of plant microremains (phytoliths and starch grains) retained in dental calculus recovered from eighteen teeth corresponding to a minimum of four individuals, product of both surface collections and stratigraphic excavations of the archaeological sites El Polear 1 (EP1) and Uturunco 1 (U1), located in the northern portion of the bottom of the Ambato Valley (prov. Catamarca, Argentina). The information obtained suggests the consumption and/or handling of wild plants related to the Poaceae family and, in particular, to the genus Neltuma sp. (carob) and possibly Cannaceae. Regarding cultivated plants, panicoid elements linked to Zea mays (maize) were observed, as well as morphotypes related to Solanum tuberosum (potato). Finally, pollen grains associated with the Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiacea e family were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the production of color in Antofagasta de la Sierra from the analysis of the first source of mineral pigments recognized in the micro-region, located in the Peña del Medio, Paicuqui. The recognition of circulation spaces and possible work areas, the tools used, and the composition of the mineral colors are presented. The position, location and way in which the colors are presented in the landscape are emphasized. Along with this, the consumption and circulation of these minerals in the micro-region is evaluated from the compositional determination of the pigments that were used in different contexts. Finally, we propose that the multiplicity of colors that converge in this space reinforces the sacredness of this place and the notion of Paicuqui as a tinku, where roads, ancestors, water and colors converge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On other occasions we have reported the partial results of the archaeological research at the site El Divisadero (Cafayate, Salta). The purpose of this paper is to present the analysis of the archaeological collection of San Agustín School located in the mentioned site. This proposal was framed within the Open Science movement and the record of the collection is already available for the local community and for those interested in the past of the native populations of Cafayate. The project included dialogue spaces with the educational community, registering the collection and integrating it with the results of archaeological investigations. The study of the collection allowed us to advance in the interpretations about the functionality of the site, to make temporal approximations of the pre-Hispanic occupations and to contextualize the archaeological objects in local history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological research in the Calchaquí Valley is uneven with respect to the knowledge of the societies that inhabited it in the past. While in the Cachi sector there is a long history of research, in the locality of La Poma archaeological interventions have been scarce. In this paper we present the partial survey of sites located in Peñas Blancas and La Paya ravines, located in the northern segment of the Calchaquí valley in the province of Salta. We will provide a brief description, as well as an overview of the conservation conditions of the sites surveyed. Since the conceptual approach is based on landscape archaeology, we are interested in emphasizing changes over time intervals. We used QGIS software to systematize the information and generate different hypotheses that allow us to account for the modifications and configurations that took place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate the forms of temporality that we can effectively address from our discipline; its concrete relationship with the landscape; and the scope and limitations of our scientific logic in this approach. From a hermeneutic, dialogic and interdisciplinary point of view (between archaeology and anthropology) we propose an approach and methodology sensitive to the study of multitemporal landscapes. As an example, we present and discuss the results obtained during the investigation of the Cusi Cusi micro-region (Puna de Jujuy, Argentina). We conclude that, in the process of researching the local landscape, two perspectives are evident which, in the first instance, are the result of different ways of inhabiting: a scientific one (a chronological and linear vision of time) and a local one (a vision where past, present and future are contemporary). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose to address the modes of relationship between productive practices, their material record and the way in which this is recovered throughout history in an Andean context. According to this, we present the theoretical-methodological proposal developed for the Pajchela and Huayatayoc ravines (Cusi Cusi, Puna de Jujuy), where the agricultural evidence corresponds from at least eight centuries ago to the present. After an analysis of planimetries, architecture and interviews with local inhabitants, it is concluded that the walls of the agricultural fields operate as identity and temporal indicators, consciously retaking and maintaining elements of the past for their construction. These walls are interpreted as the product of a gesture or ontological attitude based on weaving, which is shared and put into action in different areas of the Andean world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the petroglyphs from Curapil site, located on the northern piedmont of the Somuncurá plateau. The objective is to characterize motifs and their contexts, and to compare them with the rock art from the plateau in order to evaluate mobility paths and the occupational redundancy of sectors with different water availability. Results point towards weak links with sites from the eastern portion of Somuncurá plateau. Future studies of recently detected sites on the western portion may determine their relationships with Curapil. Although all the analysed contexts bear signs of reoccupation, these are stronger in Somuncurá, where water sources are more punctually distributed than in the piedmont. Despite these intensity differences, Curapil may be considered as a place that persisted until present times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The settlement process of the south-central Western Pampa shows weak and scattered signs during the Early Holocene, a greater human incidence during the Middle Holocene and a progressive colonization process from the initial Late Holocene, around 4000-3000 years BP. The bioarchaeological record has been one of the clearest indicators of this process. In this paper we present the osteobiography of a burial called CLV3, recovered in Cerro de Los Viejos Archaeological Locality (SE of La Pampa province), which has a date of 3410±20 years BP. It is an adult male individual who was in good health. His lifestyle involved moderate mechanical stress and the intensive use of the masticatory apparatus. He had a local residence, a terrestrial diet, and shows circular cranial deformation. The characteristics of CLV3 reflect social and cultural patterns observed at the macro-regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents archaeological information from the Quebrada de Cavi, Puna de Salta, Argentina. We show the existence of an archaeological distribution with sectors of high artefactual density and diversity, which began to be formed, hypothetically, during the early to mid-Holocene transition, by hunter-gatherers with a localized use of space, next to bodies of water, with hunting and lithic resources. This resulted in the formation of persistent places associated with lithic reduction activities and resource processing during the mid-Holocene. The subsequent use of the vega in productive activities with livestock facilities gave rise to the formation of palimpsests with low temporal resolution and high artefactual density. We propose that this long-term anthropization of space produced the formation of a constructed lithic landscape, which in historical times served as a source of large-volume stones for the construction of walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quartz lithic technology was relevant for the human populations that inhabited the El Alto-Ancasti mountain range (Catamarca) during the first millennium AD. This is characterized by the presence of very simple retouched tools with very low labor investment. However, in the Oyola 7 rockshelter, we have identified a set of projectile points, which show a certain variety of designs, but also a greater work investment due to the bifacial manufacture and certain standardization of sizes and shapes. The main goal of this paper is therefore to present the technological characteristics of this set of projectile points, emphasizing the context in which they come from, a cave with rock art and which is the only archaeological site in which projectile points were recorded in this area of eastern Catamarca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe the activities carried out by pre-Hispanic populations in the Abra del Toro rock shelter, after the great eruption of the Cerro Blanco Volcanic Complex. This rock shelter is located south of the Yocavil Valley and has a stratified record. The activities were reconstructed from the analysis of lithic, ceramic, archaeofaunal and anthracological materials. The results obtained allow us to argue that around the first millennium A.D., the rock shelter was occupied on a recurrent basis, functioning complementarily with a nearby lithic workshop and maintaining stylistic and ceramic production connections with other contemporary sites in the region. A substantial contribution of this work is to demonstrate that this space was re-occupied after a catastrophic event, persisting in the memory of pre-Hispanic populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present the analysis of four contexts of archaeological rescues carried out in the northern sector of the Lerma Valley (Salta), and that correspond to adult burial events in large vessels. This type of burial was common during the Late Period and the Inca Period. The rescues were carried out by personnel from the Salta Museum of Anthropology. The integration between the field data and the laboratory processing of the materials allowed the generation of new information on the funerary practices of burial of adults from the various materials that made up the mortuary accompaniment and the human skeletal remains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern slopes of the Cumbres Calchaquíes, in the province of Tucumán, is an area where large and complex human occupations have expanded rising early villager landscapes. Their archaeological research has been characterized by a heterogeneous knowledge of different localities. This paper presents the results of research carried out by our team since 2014, addressing in comparative key the material configurations of the Anfama basin and the valley of La Ciénega, dating between the 1st and 7th century A.D. The main objective is to synthesize the researches carried out so far, in order to determine similarities and particularities of the ways of living developed by the populations of the studied sectors. We mainly address three articulating axes: general characteristics of the landscapes, structuring of domestic spaces, and temporality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punta María 2 is a site located on the Atlantic coast of Tierra del Fuego, which presents the most abundant zooarchaeological assemblage of pinnipeds reported for that coast. In this paper, we review a subsample of this otariid assemblage in order to develop new osteometric analysis, as well as the identification of diagnostic features and the epiphyseal fusion data. Thus, from the construction of more adjusted datasets of species, sex and age, we discuss previous interpretations. Our results show that the preys were mostly subadult individuals between one and three years of age, with a predominance of Otaria flavescens over Arctocephalus australis, while in adults the representation of species was more balanced, indicating an opportunistic encounter hunting. Finally, we would like to note that the joint use of different methodological approaches is extremely adequate and promising for the zooarchaeological analysis of these animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present the results of the techno-morpho-functional and archaeometric studies of mineral pigments from four residential sites and a cache from the Interserrana plain, occupied during the middle and late Holocene. At the residential sites we identified pigments composed of a variety of iron oxides and clay minerals, including pyrophyllite, from the Barker hills, that entered the sites as part of personal toolkits and were used unmodified, reduced to powder or directly applied. They were possibly used for hide treatment or decoration. The pigments that form the cache are composed of various iron oxides and hydroxide, as well as kaolinite or illite. They could also come from Barker, although the acquisition from other sectors in the Tandilia Range cannot be discarded. The cache pigments were obtained and deposited in order to supply with coloring rocks the banks of a recurrently occupied shallow lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landscape of Deseado Massif in Santa Cruz province, is dominated by Jurassic volcanic geologic formations. In this geologic framework, good quality lithic raw material has a great availability and variability. Regional archaeological record presents a long human occupation sequence starting in late Pleistocene. In this paper, neutron activation analysis is implemented to characterize geochemical variability in Cantera del Rojo (CDR) and other lithic quarries within the study area. In turn, the technique is applied on archaeological artifacts from Cueva Maripe site to evaluate raw material sources. Neutron activation analysis has been frequently used on obsidian, but very rarely on other kind of rocks. Thus, this paper constitutes the first application of this methodology to identify provisioning sources of different silica rocks. Results indicate statistically significant associations between one of the quarries (CDR), which allow us to establish a geochemical identity. The Cueva Maripe site artifacts analyzed were manufactured on raw materials sourced from D9 quarry and from another unknown source. This is the first application of neutron activation analysis to the study of silica rocks to resolve archaeological problems, so it represents a landmark on the raw material provenance studies in Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the analysis carried out on quartz sources of the material recovered in three workshop qu arries: Arroyo La Mina 1 (CALM1), Arroyo El Vigilante 1 (CAEV1) and Arroyo El Tabaquillo 1 (CAET1) located in Córdoba ranges, and of a collection of tools from four sites of the micro region of southern Punilla. The methodology consisted in, on the one hand, field surveys and surface collections in quarry-workshop areas and on the other hand, in lithic analysis from techno-morphological approaches. The study of quartz sources reveals the importance that this resource has had in the manufacture of tools and bifaces in the past. This raw material, that includes the hyaline variety or rock crystal, reaches a distribution towards the valley floor areas displayed by the presence of projectile points typical of the final late Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following paper addresses the study of those knapping processes occurred during the middle Holocene in Laguna de los Pampas (Central Pampean Dunefields, Buenos Aires), carried out through tecnomorphologic and technological (chaînes opératoires) studies of the lithic artifacts recovered in the surface of the Sector 2. The results obtained points to the employ of a wide diversity of raw materials, which sources are located at least 170 km away from the site, and among which stands the orthoquartzites and cherts from Tandilia. For these two rocks, as well as for the silicified dolomite, a direct acquisition is proposed. The production of blanks was mainly made by the unipolar and centripetal débitage. The presence of dull edges, reactivation flakes and exhausted cores, as well as the employment of the bipolar reduction, suggest an optimization in the exploitation of rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comparatively addresses the emergence of three Latin-American Catholic sanctuaries: Virgen de Copacabana and Señor de los Milagros de Lima, both of colonial origin (Peruvian Viceroyalty), and Virgen del Rosario of San Nicolás (Argentina, since 1983). Using an anthropological perspective, through archive research with an ethnographic approach, the primary actions and motivations that helped consolidate these sanctuaries are analyzed. Who were the material and symbolic producers of these Catholic images and in which circumstances did they act? How did they become places of devotion? Which was the role of the miracles in cult consolidation? I will examine the possibility of recognizing regularities and common logics in these processes, analyzing to what extent they express either contextual factors or Catholic sanctuaries typical dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the natural distribution pattern of modern bone remains in different parts of the Moat Bay coastal area is analyzed. The purpose of this analysis is to assess the areas with a higher probability of bone remains accumulation and dispersion, and to generate expectations about the integrity of archaeological sites. Additionally, the natural modifications that occur on the cortical surface of bones are evaluated. Results show that intertidal zone dynamics has a dissimilar effect in bone assemblage formation, and that these processes have different impact level depending on location and coastal landform type. Furthermore, different taphonomic trajectories for birds and mammals were identified. Results allow predicting the integrity level of the sites located in the environmental contexts under study and provide valuable decision-making tools for archaeological projects in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to describe an archaeological burial site with commingled skeletal remains, named Cañada Seca-1 (MNI= 24), located in the Atuel River valley and dating from ca. 1500 years BP. This is performed by integrating well-known and recently developed lines of inquiry. Based on this record, we discuss interpretations related to cultigen presence and its implications in human subsistence and mobility, in an area traditionally characterized as the pre-Hispanic agricultural limit, ca. 2200 years BP. Results show that the individuals did not developed a farming strategy, although maize seems to have been part of their diet. In turn, the new information about mortuary behavior in the Atuel River valley provides new insights regarding mobility, as well as the use of utilitarian (lithics) and nonutilitarian (lithic and malacological ornaments) technology that went beyond these peoples' life into their death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses a collection of engraved plaques from Golfo San Matías (Río Negro province) in order to assess design recurrences which might point to the presence of ornamentation rules and/or visual information coding among the hunter-gatherer peoples who produced and used them. Then, 170 plaques from Patagonia and other regions of Argentina are systematically compared using the presence of shared motif types as the main criterion. Data are assessed using a theoretical model with expectations which link design variability/standardization, ornamental laxity/structuration and informational heterogeneity/redundancy. Results show that plaques display low design standardization, which is compatible with a low redundancy communicative function (heterogeneous content) and/or with an ornamental function with lax rules. Moreover, the shared repertoires document several inter-regional links, which are verified using different lines of archaeological evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this research is to understand pottery production in the Alamito sites (northwestern Argentina), inhabited during the first centuries AD. To know this craft production is to enter into the social dynamics of these human groups characterized by a particular way of building, distributing in the landscape and abandoning their dwellings. 55 sherds representative of the stylistic-morphological variability of the sample under study were selected and their fabrics were assessed using petrographic analysis. The methodology used includes the study of the clay matrix, classification of inclusions (type, size and shapes) and description of cavities. The regularities and singularities observed in this data allowed to detect six classes of fabric, which were compared with fabric recipes from nearby areas. Thus, this paper analyzed the relationships between the Alamito pottery and other ceramic productions of northwestern Argentina during the Formative Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to provide new data about prehispanic occupations in the vicinity of the Sauce Grande shallow lake (Monte Hermoso, province of Buenos Aires). The results of the research about the Laguna Sauce Grande II and Laguna Sauce Grande III archaeological sites are presented. Furthermore, the subsistence, technology and mobility of hunter-gatherers during the late Holocene are discussed. In relation to subsistence, the abundant record of Amarilladesma mactroides (yellow clam) remains is a remarkable fact, which indicates that this bivalve was transported for 6 km from the Atlantic coast and used as foodstuff. The estimated size of the shells retrieved demonstrates homogeneity in selecting adult individuals. In regard to technology, 12 different rock varieties from diverse sources were identified, which means there were various transportation distance ranges involved. The artifacts were produced by knapping and by picking; those intended to resource processing are predominant. The material evidence, particularly that of archaeofaunae, presents novel information for the Pampean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first analytical results of the pottery assemblage retrieved from the Parque Natural Ongamira 1 site excavations, located in the Ongamira valley (Ischilín, Córdoba, Argentina). The objective of this paper is to inquire into the production, use and disposal of this record, in accordance with the identified contexts, in order to make the first contributions to the production and use practices in relation to this materiality in this valley. From macroscopic and microscopic studies, we were able to identify the presence of at least six vessels in different occupation contexts, with differences both in their pastes and in surface finishes and decorations. Using microscopic petrography analyses, we were able to identify four types of paste composition variants; two of these may have been from a local source. By studying the ceramic objects used by those who inhabited the valley around 1900 BP, we can explore the relationships that existed among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes plant processing through lithic instruments from a multi-proxy approach for hunter-gatherers contexts of Patagonia. This region presents an archaeobotanical record reflecting the use of diverse species and plant organs, as well as abundant lithic record with evidences of plant processing in different occupational periods. An experimental program combining plant micro-residues studies of two taxa common in the archaeological record with the use-wear analysis of lithic material is proposed here in order to generate functional, technological and methodological interpretations. Cell elements, stains and traces of use are characterized. The program was applied to a sample of different archaeological instruments of the Central plain and the North coast of Santa Cruz province. Micro-residues and use-wear traces identified from these artifacts, together with other contextual information allow us to infer diverse plant processing and manufacture practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the distribution of an assemblage of projectile points recoveredfrom the archaeological site Cerro Casa de Piedra 7. The analysis aims to identify patterns in the spatial distribution of the points, in order to define possible activity areas. It also seeks to recognize if there are diachronic variations in these distributions. One of the criteria for comparison was the difference in distribution of whole and fractured points. Within the latter, a distinction was made between bases and apex with the goal of assessing their relationship with the different excavated sectors within the site. The comparison of distributions in different temporal blocks enabled the identification of trends in projectile point discard throughout time. However, no patterns could be differentiated in the horizontal distribution. The tendencies identified marks a certain abundance during the early Holocene and a sharp decline starting in the middle Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the prehispanic late occupations (ca. 1000-1500 AD), the Peña del Medio (Paicuqui, microregion of Antofagasta de la Sierra, Province of Catamarca), had a strong ritual connotation linked to astronomical observations and cult of the ancestors and, related to micro and macrorregional interaction practices. This paper presents the results obtained from stylistic and petrographic studies of the ceramics recovered on the place. An important stylistic variability in the vessels, their elaboration with allochthonous raw materials and the predominance of suitable forms for food consumption is detected. Ceramic similarities of the Antofalla region and of different sectors of the Calchaquíes valleys are recognized. It is concluded that the ceramic set is consistent with the interpretation of Paicuqui as a meeting place and interaction mediated by ritual practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the technological information produced by a regional distributional study conducted within the central sector of the Gallegos and Chico Rivers Interfluve (Pali Aike Volcanic Field, Santa Cruz, Argentina). The goal of this regional survey was to characterize the archaeological signal and its possible latitudinal variations at W70°. By studying the organization of technology and the regional technological structure, we discuss land use strategies and the factors that may have influenced them within this portion of the interfluve. Human use of lagoons is especially targeted. We conclude that hunter-gatherers occupied more intensively those spaces that combine the abundant availability of dark fine-grained rocks of Potrok Aike type with the least distance to river courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background about bird use by ancient populations of the Chaco-Santiagueña region is scarce. In this paper, birds (except Rheidae) of ten archaeological sites from the agro-pottery stage (ca. 350 AD until the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century) are analyzed. The aim of this paper is to analyze bird remains recovered at the archaeological sites, the natural processes that intervened in the conformation of the samples, the human processing patterns and the role such remains had in the subsistence of ancient inhabitants. From the results, a processing pattern could be established that includes hindlimb defleshing and forelimb disarticulation, as well as cooking over direct heat of some specimens. Given the proportion at which birds are represented in relation to other taxa, its use is considered to have been a complementary/occasional resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gunflint is a piece of rock used to activate firearms by producing a spark and the subsequent ignition of gunpowder to fire a projectile. Originated in Europe, this technology was developed and used between the 17th and 19th centuries. Since the study of this technology is at an early stage in Argentinian archaeology, the main goal of this paper is to present a review of the available data on the subject. Thus, aspects of the gunflints' origins and circulation, the types of weapons in which they were used, the manufacturing techniques and raw materials used, the techno-typological attributes, the context of use and life cycle, and existing records up to date on gunflints recovered in archaeological contexts in Argentina, are presented and discussed. We expect that this review and synthesis paper works as a reference for the study of this "historic" technology among researchers interested and unfamiliar with it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Santiago Avendaño's account, as part of the funeral of rankülche's chief Paine-Güor, thirty-three women were executed because they were witches or widows. In a groundbreaking analysis, Alberto Rex González interpreted the sacrifice of one of the chief's widows as a case of suttee, an indicator of the political organization level achieved by the pampean indigenous societies. In this paper we intend to re-read these events to clarify the causes that could explain the mass murder of witches, which according to Gonzalez only had a ritual meaning as part of the funeral. To this end, we conceptualize the native notions about magical aggression in order to account for the senses and social obligations involved in the specific context of 1840's rankülche society, and also examine the only analogous case of large-scale execution of witches recorded in the pampean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ceramic typologies were the basis for the chronological divisions and cultural sequences of Central West Argentina. Lagiglia was the one who established the ceramic diversity for the south of Mendoza, from ceramic archaeological fragments and vessels found in different sites of the region. In this paper, it is proposed to revise these typologies with the integration of descriptive and technological studies, compositional analysis and distribution of ceramic fragments from archaeological sites of the Atuel river basin. The results show a lower ceramic diversity than expected, with implications related to the spatial-environmental distribution and circulation of vessels, which improve new approaches to integrate those typologies established for the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the recent results of the archaeological research that aims to approach to the occupational dynamics of Moreta settlement (Jujuy Puna, Argentina), including the uses of space and productive practices carried out during the long temporary lapse in which it was inhabited. According to these results, this site was occupied at least since the second half of the first millennium A.D. until colonial times. This long occupation, including an important chicha presence and Inka dominion, along with the evidence indicating the development of agriculture, pastoral and metallurgical activities, show the relevance Moreta has to the understanding of the human occupation of this sector of Argentinean Northwest and its related practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the results of the regional archaeological survey of central Río Negro province (the plains and closed basins area) are presented. Based on these results, and also on the previous archaeological information of the area, the paper aims to show a large-scale picture of this portion of Northern Patagonia, especially in regard to spatiality, preservation, visibility, and chronology or the archaeological record. It is not a subject of the paper to deepen on the evidence coming from each of the local archaeological sites, but to offer a general framework of human occupation of the area. On the basis of this information, we propose an exploratory archaeological model focused on the use of space, fresh water sources, and the regional structure of the archaeological record, and some concrete archaeological expectations to be contrasted are arised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze the bioarchaeological material from ten sites of the lower basin of the Uruguay River, stored in the Museo Arqueológico Manuel Almeida (Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos). The bioarchaeological analyses focused on estimating the anatomical composition, the MNI and the sex-age structure for each site of the collection. Based on analyzing catalogue data the precedence of some skeletons was defined and mortuary practices were inferred. A minimum number of 80 individuals of both sexes and different ages have been estimated. It was also possible to recognize primary and secondary burial modalities. At the areal level, bioarchaeological research had little development, so this work provides new information that will extend the discussion on the pre-Hispanic occupations of southern Entre Ríos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse a corpus of 288 ethnographic photographs of Fueguian Indigenous societies produced by 46 photographers who travelled along the region from the end of 19th century to mid-20th century with the aim of identifying and assessing the links between the structures and the landscapes in which these were located. Following a "visual archaeology" method, the structures and landscapes found in 147 photographs of Shelk'nam, 95 of Yamana/Yagan and 46 of Alakaluf/Kaweskar are systematically studied. We are interested in analysing: a) the coexistence -or lack of coexistence- between structures, with the aim of finding indicators of modes of use of space via the simultaneous location of two or more structures; b) the implications of the structure-landscape association, since the photographic record can provide information of archaeological relevance to learn about structure location choices, which, after their abandonment, may have formed part of archaeological sites. In turn, we also analyse whether there existed spatial overlaps or separations between Indigenous traditional structures and new Western structures which, as part of the Argentinean and Chilean state expansion, started to occupy these Indigenous territories. The information is discussed with the aim of shedding new light on the modes of landscape construction and living in the world developed by the Fuegian Indigenous societies and their changes during the contact process, some of which can be inferred through an archaeological gaze of this photographic corpus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the preliminary results of the pottery study from archeological localities Bajo de la Quinta and Saco Viejo. These are chronologically associated with human occupation contexts dated between ca. 1040-420 years BP. The technological choices involved in the pottery production are evaluated from the macroscopic analysis, examination with a binocular magnifier and experimental tests. The complementarity of the different applied methodologies has allowed to infer differential technical behaviors carried out in some stages of the operational chain of the studied sets, mainly in the pastes preparation, and decoration. Also, it has been possible to verify the suitable conditions of the local raw materials for the production of this technology. Additionally, the use alterations suggest that the pottery containers were involved in domestic tasks for food processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the lithic techno-morphological analysis of Cueva El Abra Site (Buenos Aires, Argentina) corresponding to the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene transition (10270 ± 200 and 9834 ± 70 years BP). Based on the archaeological evidence Cueva El Abra was defined as a base camp of multiple activities. This cave presents the most abundant lithic assemblage recovered in stratigraphic sequence for this chronological period in the Humid Pampas sub-region. The results of the analysis evidence a wide diversity of rocks used for the manufacture of artifacts, mainly the local Orthoarcites of Balcarce Formation (medium-fine, medium and coarse grain) and the non-local Orthoarcites of Sierras Bayas Group (fine grain and better quality for flintknapping). On this rock, almost all the stages of the operative chain are evidenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a model about human dynamics of hunter-gatherer groups who inhabited the northern coast of Santa Cruz during the late Holocene is presented, focused on approaches concerning to mobility and modes of use of space. We worked with distributional and temporal information of the different modalities of burial in the study area, as well as results of determinations of stable isotopes (d13C and d15N). With this information, framed in paleoenvironmental background, it is proposed that for the initial late Holocene the spaces of the coast and the inland would have been occupied in a complementary way by small groups with high residential mobility. In contrast, from the end of late Holocene the coast-inland mobility, in occasions limited to the coast for longer stays, would have resulted in the concentration of human burials. For this period an occupational redundancy in certain sectors of coast and a reduction of residential mobility is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article refers to regional integration processes in Mercosur countries from large binational hydroelectric enterprises. In particular, it analyzes a "transnational movement" related to the Argentine-Uruguayan Salto Grande dam whose first agreement was signed in December 1946. In that agreement a binational entity that would build the dam, called Technical Commission of Salto Grande (CTM), was established. This paper focuses on the work of the "popular committess" located in the Argentine and Uruguayan cities bordering the river Uruguay, especially in the city of Concordia (Argentina) and Salto (Uruguay) for the realization of the dam. It is important to note that its informants were interviewed by the author during her extensive fieldwork conducted in 1993 for her Doctoral Thesis. Context in which it presents infomation that were never used before and that deserve a reinterpretation in light of the history of the dam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes and transcribes a Letter and a Memorial of Martín de Ledesma Valderrama, written in 1631 in the context of the abandonment of the city of Santiago de Guadalcázar, founded by him in 1625 in the Chaco. These unpublished documents refer to the advantages of the foundation of the city and to the actions for the reducción (concentration) of the local native populations. Also, populations of churumatas and "ingas del Cuzco" are recorded in the eastern valleys of the mountain range of the chichas. The causes that led to the flight of the Chaco are presented as well. The interpretation of these documents is made in the light of and interacting with the known documental corpus, the cartography of the 17th Century and the archaeology. By using this relational approach, new interpretations about the early brief occupations of the Chaco are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a synthesis of the archaeological investigations carried out in the Strobel lake plateau (Santa Cruz province) during the last fifteen years. We present the available data and the advances made in the different lines of evidence which are under study (datings, technology, faunal remains and rock art). The topics being discussed at the moment are: logistical use of the plateau, hunting strategies, the characteristics of the different moments of occupation, the types of information conveyed through rock art, the differential hierarchy inside this area and population convergence. Moreover, we mention the changes which occurred in our approach towards the archaeological record as regards methodology and the management strategies which are implemented. Finally, some of the conclusions achieved so far are presented, as well as the new questions posed throughout our research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of the site La Tranquera, (Colonia San Sixto, Guatraché Department, La Pampa Province, Argentina). There, a burial was recovered and rescued under a field gate (tranquera); from which the site took its given name. Those rescue tasks allowed to recover an almost complete skeleton in an isolated burial, whose modality is that of simple disposition. The goal of this work is to present the results of the osteobiographic, isotopic, radiocarbon and taphonomic analyzes, in order to establish a comparison with others cases in the region, such as Chenque I site and Médano La Enriqueta site. The results indicate that it is a male adult, whose lifestyle did not involve intensive use of the body. The data indicate a local residence and a mixed diet, with minimal consumption of cariogenic foods; which is consistent with the trend already registered in the pampean region for the Late Holocene. The taphonomic effects had a low intensity impact on the remains, so their preservation status is good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithic artifacts known as Saladillo are mentioned in the archeology of the Argentinian Puna from the early twentieth century. Since then, they were repeatedly presented as projectile points. However, in some works such as those of Jorge Fernández the presence of retouched cutting edges was recognized, but they were not analyzed in detail. In this paper we consider that the analysis of those edges in such artifacts lead to discuss their exclusive classification as projectile points. To this end, three samples obtained at different places in the Puna of Salta were analyzed. The results from the analysis of macroscopic attributes suggest that these artifacts should be classified as scrapers or knives. From the point of view of this classification it is hypothesized that Saladillo artifacts reflect a standardization of processing technology, linked to the intensification in the exploitation of camelids that occurred by the end of the Middle Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the main results on distributional archaeology and technological organization, obtained in the frame of the doctoral thesis entitled Los pueblos originarios en el Norte de Pampa Seca. Una mirada arqueológica a los cazadores recolectores del Sur de Córdoba y San Luis. Lithic raw materials constitute the main component recovered from the archaeological record in this area. The structure of the regional lithic resource base was complemented with petrographic studies carried out on non-local rocks. The spatial characterization of the amount of rocks present in each subarea was assessed through both the subdivision of the area (considering environmental and geomorphological criteria) and the universe of lithic resources (considering the percentage of appearance). Based on this, and adding techno-typological studies, management strategies as well as potential vectors of interaction were defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological pottery from Northeastern Patagonia has been studied ever since research began in the area. However, only recently strategies combining systematic analysis and archaeometric techniques are being applied. Within this latter approach, in the present paper four ceramic assemblages were studied through macroscopic analysis, petrography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Various stages of production were characterized: local manufacturing, coiling forming technique, red pigment application, incised decorative representations and open firings technique. On this basis, different transmission mechanisms of various pottery practices, especially those related to decorative repertoires and techniques were explored at regional and macro-regional scales. Among use practices, it was inferred that some pots were used for cooking resources corresponding to rumiant mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose to configure the landscape of the Late Period (ca. 1300-1440 a.D.) in the Guandacol Valley (department Felipe Varela, La Rioja) starting from the reconstruction of its spatial dimension, from a regional approach. For that purpose, we identify settlement patterns and the forms of occupation, the relationships between the locations and environments, and the linkages and interactions between sites. Methodologically, we perform an analysis of the distributions using the tools of the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Past software. We propose that, for the temporal context under study, the groups of this territory were distributed in a village way, around water sources and carob tree plantations, with socio-economic organization similar to that of the communities settled in the southern sector of the Argentinian Northwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to think over the scientific and technological conceptualization of "development" from epistemological principles and ethnographic experiences as a result of an anthropological research. This was framed in a doctorate project about the socio-territorial dynamic of southwest of the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) conducted between 2010 and 2014, whose goal was to analyze the link between social imaginary of various social groups and their rhythms of life. Considering the results of the fieldwork carried out with tourist operators and farmers, it is proposed to consider the development as temporality, to account for the different ways of conceiving and practicing. Also, the coexistence of multiple imaginary on development concept in the territory analyzed is discussed and it is emphasized that understanding their rhythmic allows to make tangible the cultural discontinuities of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the analysis and determination of the lithic raw materials used by hunter-gatherers for stone bola manufacture in Buenos Aires Province, the Pampean Region. The petrographic identification was made using thin sections and macroscopic observation. The regional availability of the rocks used and the relationship between natural availability and the manufacture of other artifacts by pitting, abrasion, polishing and/or modified by use were explored. Also the selection of different raw materials for stone bola making was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]