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In this paper, we argue for the inclusion of archaeology in discussions about how humans have contributed to and dealt with climate change, especially in the long term. We suggest Niche Construction Theory as a suitable framework to that end. In order to take into account both human and environmental variability, we also advocate for a situated perspective that includes the Global South as a source of knowledge production, and the Neotropics as a relevant case study to consider. To illustrate this, we review the mid-Holocene Hypsithermal period in the southern Puna and continental Patagonia, both in southern South America, by assessing the challenges posed by this climate period and the archaeological signatures of the time from a Niche Construction Theory perspective. Finally, we emphasize the importance of these considerations for policymaking. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes that the use of the bow and arrow and boleadoras (stone throwers) as a weapon system was simultaneously employed --in different environments-- by the Aonikenk hunter-gatherer groups in the post 1520 AD period, which is different from the hypothesis found in previous historical-ethnographic studies. To test our hypothesis and due to the scarcity of stone balls in the stratigraphic excavations, we chose an analysis of the frequency of projectile points, end-scrapers and side-scrapers found in 38 post-contact sites. These three types of artefacts presented different frequencies, which may be associated with the different functions of the respective sites (limited activities vs. multiple activities). This analysis, together with the topography of the sites, allowed us to confirm our initial hypothesis, showing the usefulness of a regional approach to the analysis of post-Contact archaeology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunter-gatherer occupations of the forests of Patagonia are still not well understood compared to those of the open steppe and the coasts. The paucity of forest sites with a thorough chronological framework and the incomplete picture of climatehuman dynamics in such environments pose a challenge to understanding the occupations of such habitats. This paper presents recent work at the Las Quemas rockshelter, an archaeological site located in the Andean forests of the Aisén region (44°38'S) dating between 6100 and 2400 cal BP. We examine the context of the site, its rock art, and the technological and functional dimensions of its lithic assemblage. By comparing these records with local environmental reconstructions that report forest area fluctuations after the Post-Glacial period, this study provides novel data for a comprehensive regionalscale model of human occupations in central Patagonian forests. Following an initial mid-Holocene occupation, recurring occupational events at the site coincide with a significant contraction of forested area in the region during the late Holocene. The results are discussed in regard to regional archaeological data and current models of forest occupation in Patagonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]