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This paper explores how significant are the ecological and climatic variables to influence the stable isotopes of guanacos. Lama guanicoe bone collagen carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios are assumed as a macro regional average value in west Argentina, mostly as a baseline to model archaeological human diet. If stable isotopes on mammals reflex ecology and climate, we need to know how those variables influence mammals bone stable isotope ratio. This paper analyses the 13C/12C and 15 N/14N ratio on bone collagen on 122 guanacos from Northwest Patagonia during the Holocene. The results confirm significant variation in both isotopes between Monte and Andean-Patagonian specimens. Guanacos from Monte shows higher δ13C and δ15N than those from Andean-Patagonian. Temporal trends indicate variation through Holocene but this variation is not spatially homogeneous. In this paper we suggest that Medieval Climatic Anomaly had stronger effect in Monte desert than in Patagonia desert, generating driest and/or hottest conditions between 1250 and 600 years BP. Those variations need to be considered to reconstruct human diet at least during the second part of the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the paleogeographic evolution of Viedma Lake (252 masl) sedimentary sequences with glaciolacustrine and lacustrine strata between 307 masl and 266 masl and bathymetric fluctuations between 27 ka. and 2.4 ka. were identified. The paleoenvironmental interpretation of the stratigraphic profiles was carried out based on the analysis of facies and their associations. The oldest age was recorded at 301 masl (27 ka) and the youngest corresponds to 266 masl (2.4 ka). The record of 27 ka was compared with another dated record of the Tar-San Martin Lakes basin showing that Viedma – Tar-San Martín Lakes were formed at similar ages. Taking into account that the deposits of Bahía Túnel are located at 266 masl and that the level of the lake would be above this height, it is proposed that this lake level would have restricted the movement of hunter-gatherer populations along the coast and to the west. From 2.4 ka on a new space started to be available for these populations broadening the wintering grounds (≤400 masl). The chronology of the archaeological record found in this new space fits the proposed paleogeographic evolution. This paper complements the research on the evolution of lacustrine systems in the Patagonian Mountain range and broadens the discussion of human mobility in the Viedma Lake basin during the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study of firewood use and management by human groups in the Ongamira valley, Córdoba, Argentina (dated between c. 5700-950 BP). In order to understand firewood gathering practices at different periods in the Late Holocene, samples from 63 combustion events recorded in 9 rockshelters were analysed. From the anthracological analysis (14,976 fragments) 19 woody taxa, and 4 botanically indeterminate taxa, were identified belonging to Chaco Serrano forest vegetation. The identification of abundant small flat fireplaces suggests short-lived activities repeated over time. A detailed analysis of the samples (types of fire pits, alterations during combustion and taphonomic processes) permits inferring firewood gathering in the local vegetation around the sites, as well as some taxa belonging to different environmental settings. Archaeological evidence indicates that groups were mobile, with the establishment of a network of places in the landscape where different activities were carried out (tool production, food consumption and pottery manufacture) with fire making as a central activity. People in the past constantly used different places in the valley, focusing many of their activities in rockshelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the analysis of a radiocarbon database of the North Coast of Santa Cruz (central Patagonia, Argentina), is presented. Dated archaeological samples were obtained from 56 different types of archaeological sites (open-air -residential sites and burials-, and also rock shelters). The objective of this paper is assessing the continuities and discontinuities in the chronological signal of the area and identifying tendencies along the Holocene. The database currently contains 75 radiocarbon dates falling between ca. 8000 and 300 BP. The radiocarbon data base provides information on the chronological, spatial and contextual variability of the archaeological record of North Coast of Santa Cruz. By means of different analysis of sum of probabilities, we present three different chronological moments of human use of the coast and intermediate zone can be identified. A first moment is represented by early evidence of settlement during Middle Holocene. A second moment corresponds to a hiatus between ca. 5800 and ca. 3900 BP without archaeological evidence. Finally, a third moment is where an increasing of chronological signal occurred, related to greater artifactual variability and an increase in the intensity of human settlement in the Patagonian region. The causes that could have influenced in the discontinuity of the chronological signal of the study area, and the characteristics of the different moments identified are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper compares two zooarchaeological sub-samples, each of which comes from a different area (North chamber and South chamber) of Maripe Cave Site (Santa Cruz, Argentina). In previous papers, each chamber was interpreted as a particular microenvironment based on their specific environmental and geoarchaeological features. In both areas, hunting–gatherer society occupations were recorded since the Pleistocene–Holocene transition to late Holocene. This paper investigated and discussed the different agents and processes involved in the formation of each assemblage, with the aim of assessing the taphonomic variability between the two areas and discussing their integrity. Bone specimens of Lama guanicoe (guanaco), the most common species on the site, were analyzed. The bone surfaces of specimens were studied by naked eye observations and binocular magnifying to 10×, which allowed recognition of different patterns of modification. The representation of guanaco anatomical units was also discussed at each chamber according to economic utility and BMD values. The results indicate that while there was involvement of different natural agents and processes acted differently in each sector, the main accumulating agent in both sets was human. Differences between both chambers are observed in the representation of anatomical units, in processing marks, in the conservation of specimens, and in the number and intensity performed by each natural agents and process in each sector. Each chamber indicates a different taphonomic history: the North Chamber records greater conservation and archaeological integrity, while the South Chamber shows a more complex taphonomy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the Deseado Massif there are many stratified archaeological sites located in caves and rockshelters. The cultural sequences, proposed in the past century, include an occupational hiatus and cultural changes that were developed on the basis of large tools from archaeological sites, without debitage analysis. The aim of this paper is to review the current debate on lithic technology and human occupations of this area during the Mid-Holocene, integrating new data, as well as the latest environmental interpretations. The contribution of new information from blade and bifacial technologies is central to discussion of the models proposed by other authors. The new baseline information generated in the last decade, allow original interpretations. The evidence of coexistence between blade and bifacial technologies during the Mid-Holocene constitutes the main contribution of this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a systematic analysis of the shellfish assemblages recovered from Heshkaia 35, an archaeological site located in the southern tip of South America. Possible arguments concerning to environmental variations and resource depression are considered in an attempt to explain taxa composition and shell size. Results are also discussed in light of expectations based on optimal foraging models and taking into account other factors beyond biological parameters. Shellfishing activities were focused on small mussels, with statistical significant changes in mean shell size along the archaeological sequence of the site. Current knowledge about past variations in sea surface temperature does not seem to explain changes in shell size. Gathering of small mussels appears to be the corollary of resource depression at a local scale. This interpretation reinforces arguments that foraging decisions would have derived from territorial packing on the southeastern coast of Tierra del Fuego during the Late Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights regional and temporal variation in the presence and exploitation of faunal resources from different regions of Argentina during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Specifically, the faunal analysis considered here includes the zooarchaeological remains from all sites older than 7500 14 C years BP. We include quantitative information for each reported species (genus, family, or order) and we use the number of identified specimens (NISP per taxon and the NISP total by sites) as the quantitative measure of taxonomic abundance. The taxonomic richness (Ntaxa total and Ntaxa exploited ) and the taxonomic heterogeneity or Shannon-Wiener index are estimated in order to consider dietary generalization or specialization, and ternary diagrams are used to categorize subsistence patterns of particular sites and regions. The archaeological database is composed of 78 sites which are represented by 110 stratigraphic contexts. Our results demonstrate that although some quantitative differences between regions are observed, artiodactyls (camelids and deer) were the most frequently consumed animal resource in Argentina. Early hunter-gatherers did not follow a specialized predation strategy in megamammals. A variety in subsistence systems, operating in parallel with a strong regional emphasis is shown, according to specific environmental conditions and cultural trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the preliminary results of the zooarchaeological analysis of Dupuy Rockshelter (La Toma, San Luis Province, Argentina). This rock shelter has evidence of Late Holocene (Last Millennium) human occupation dating from 340 ± 40 BP. Some species, including Lama guanicoe and Ozotoceros bezoarticus , were exploited and their bones were used as raw material to make instruments. The zooarchaeological analysis is complemented by geological and phytoarchaological evidence which indicates a humid environment during the Holocene and a mixed diet that included vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the analysis of the ichtyoarchaeological record from Los Bananos site (Goya, Corrientes, Argentine). The aim of this study is to render a first evaluation to the role played by fish in subsistence during subsequent occupations of the site. The site is located in the alluvial plain of Middle Paraná River, beside Paraná Miní creek, and it has provided new information about pottery and lithic technology, subsistence, chronology ( 14 C), site formation processes, etc. Bones from Los Bananos have been divided into three assemblages (LB1, LB2 and LB3), according to associated cultural materials. The pre-Hispanic populations that occupied this area by the end of the Late Holocene based their subsistence in hunting, gathering and fishing. Also, the makers of a distinctive ceramic ware associated with LB1 assemblage (related to Goya-Malabrigo entity - lato sensu -), relied on small-scale horticulture. Preceding materials of the other sets (LB2 and LB3) do not present necessary characteristics for cultural association as shown in LB1. The assemblages will be discussed in sequence of their deposition; and compared with results from other related sites. The results of zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of the faunal remains suggest that fish was an important resource in LB1. While from LB3 analysis, we will see that fish constituted a complementary resource in the diet. Thus, we can infer that, the role of animals in the diet of the site's prehistoric inhabitants changed during the time deposits were laid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses provisioning strategies of lithic raw materials at Maripe Cave site (province of Santa Cruz, Argentina). The archaeological sequence represents different moments of human occupation at the cave and in the study area, which show different lithic technologies. The morpho-typological analysis of the lithic cores recovered contributes to our knowledge about the strategies related to procurement and provisioning of the lithic raw materials used for artifacts production. We identified different raw materials from the analyses of lithic cores and other artifacts from the site. This allowed analyzing trends in selection and provisioning processes and interpreting the mobility strategies of the groups that inhabited the Deseado Massif since the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Trends suggest that, during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition and early Holocene, abandoned cores from Maripe Cave mainly indicate people provisioning strategies. During middle Holocene, the cores shows blades extractions and raw material use from long distance, discarded with remaining potential utility. Finally, at late Holocene the cores were mainly prepared for blade extractions. Our results do not fully agree with Kuhn's proposal, probably due to both the theoretical polarization between the provisioning strategies and the palimpsest effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes and discusses the main results achieved over three decades of research on paleodemographic aspects of Late Holocene hunter-gatherers in Northwestern Santa Cruz (Argentina). Research has been guided by a model of regional settlement that proposes that, as a result of the progressive aridization process recorded in Patagonia during the Late Holocene, human groups would have reduced their residential mobility and concentrated their settlements in low altitude basins with water availability, such as Lake Cardiel and Lake Salitroso. Paleodemographic questions derived from the model relate to population regional continuity and dynamics and were tested using several lines of research at regional and local scales. The assessment of the chronological information and temporal trends of the archaeological record at the regional level allowed for a coarse grain paleodemographic approach, and acted as a mean to support hypotheses related to changes in mobility and land use strategies. Building on this, several lines of bioarchaeological evidence were used to address paleodemographic aspects of the model, including temporal, distributional, and compositional studies of the mortuary record, isotopic, morphometric and DNA analyses and the sex and age structure of the skeletal samples recovered in Lake Salitroso basin. Results point to a biological and cultural population continuity in the region during the Late Holocene. Also, a reduction in residential mobility would have favored a slight population growth of Lake Salitroso populations during the last millennium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compiles a database of radiocarbon dates of archaeological sites that are currently available for the Pampean region. Based on the probability distribution of radiocarbon dates from this database, major temporal trends are defined, taphonomic and scientific biases are evaluated, and their implications for demography are suggested. Results indicate a continuous archaeological signal between ca. 14,500 and 100 cal BP. During the final Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene, the archaeological signal is low in ca. 14,500–12,800 cal BP, and increases to a moderate and continuous signal in ca. 12,800–7500 cal BP. The archaeological signal for the former lapse correspond to the early peopling of the region and is related to the inhabiting and exploitation of key landforms (e.g., rock shelters, river valleys) and critical resources (e.g., lithic raw material, water). The low amount of available dates for the Middle Holocene (ca. 7400–3700 cal BP), and the associated archaeological signal would be due to the combination of various factors such as taphonomic biases, organization of prehistoric populations, and even a possible low population density. The obtained low but continuous signal for this period are discussed in the framework of the proposed models for the human occupation of the region suggesting that a hypothesis about population extinctions and disruptions processes could not be sustained. Finally, during the Late Holocene (from 3700 to 100 cal BP) human occupations are recorded in all the micro-regions. Regardless of biases, this signal is interpreted as an increase in demographic density at a regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastropods and ostracods are widely used in Quaternary paleoenvironmental reconstructions but the taphonomic studies that should precede them are not as common. In this paper we compare the taphonomic information obtained from assemblages recovered in Holocene fluvial sequences of the Salado River basin (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and analyze the changes or similarities between species, localities and stratigraphic units. Using taphonomic grades, gastropod shells were cataloged based on three attributes: fragmentation, discoloration and dissolution. For ostracods, discoloration and dissolution together with the population structure (adults-juveniles A/J, valves-carapace V/C and male-female ratios) were analyzed. For gastropods, Heleobia parchappii , Biomphalaria peregrina and Succinea meridionalis showed similar preservation patterns, and Miradiscops brasiliensis showed least evidence of alteration. In ostracods, these patterns varied among species. For V/C ratio, 7% of assemblages were formed only by valves, 82% were dominated by valves and 11% were dominated by carapaces. Fragmentation and population structure allowed autochthonous and allochthonous associations to be distinguished. Gastropod assemblages with low levels of fragmentation were recovered mainly from the uppermost levels of the stratigraphic profiles. For ostracods, the A/J ratio showed that 52% of the assemblages were dominated by adults with most ontogenetic stages represented and 29% retained their original population structure suggesting they would be autochthonous associations, whereas 19% of the assemblages were dominated by juvenile valves therefore assuming allochthonous associations. Our results indicate that taphonomic analysis is an effective tool that allows identifying autochthonous assemblages, which are the most reliable for robust paleoenvironmental reconstructions. • First taphonomic study combinating ostracods and gastropods in Argentina. • The most abundant species of gastropod showed similar preservation pattern. • In ostracods, the preservation states varied among the most abundant species. • Ostracod population structure allows recognizing autochthonuos or allochtonous assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper summarizes the results of the research carried out during a decade at the Hornillos 2 rockshelter, located at 4020 m asl in the Dry Puna of Argentina. The human occupations in this site are bracketed between the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary and the mid-Holocene, challenging the idea of a widespread abandonment of the Andes highlands during mid-Holocene due to extreme arid conditions (i.e. the “silencio arqueológico” or archaeological silence hypothesis). Nine occupational levels have been recognized in the timed span at the site, the result of hunter–gatherer activities carried out in a highly oscillating and changing environment. Here we present the mean trends and patterns observed in the full set of lines of inquiry applied in the site: lithic evidence, zooarchaeological analysis, rock art, stratigraphic and spatial analysis, and isotopic data. The outcomes of these studies, together with the site location features, known raw materials sources and regional archaeological evidence, indicate that hunter–gatherer groups reduced their residential mobility, and increased the intensity of their occupations and the rate of technological innovations in the arid and unstable mid-Holocene landscapes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During the late Holocene, the coastal marine resources of southern South America were exploited by both marine hunter-gatherers with aquatic mobility in the Beagle Channel and the Chilean archipelago and terrestrial hunter-gatherers who inhabited various coastal settings in Argentina. Although the two cultures differed in technology and in historical exploitation patterns, they both used otariids, molluscs, fishes and sea birds as sources of food and raw materials for centuries. Ultimately, their use of these resources, particularly of otariids, declined strongly at different times. Overexploitation has been suggested as the main reason for this pattern, at least in the Beagle Channel, but similar declines in the north Pacific have been attributed to an increase in sea surface temperature (SST). The present paper tests the latter hypothesis in southern South America by using the δ18O of bivalve shells (Aulacomya atra atra and Mytilus edulis) collected at archaeological sites as a proxy for SST and comparing the patterns of δ18O with the patterns of resource exploitation by hunter-gatherers. Samples were collected from the Beagle Channel and the central-northern Patagonian coast (north to 43° S) to generate two comparable datasets. The results suggest that SST increased in both areas at the beginning of the late Holocene and was slightly higher than at present during most of that period, except during the Little Ice Age, when values similar to those recorded at the end of the middle Holocene were found. The relative importance of otariids, mainly Arctocephalus australis, in the economy of the inhabitants of the Beagle Channel declined as SST increased, but otariid exploitation did not intensify again during the Little Ice Age. On the contrary, the intensity of otariid exploitation in central-northern Patagonia, mainly Otaria flavescens, was unrelated to the changes in δ18O. Thus, changes in SST are unlikely to be the major driver of these resource-exploitation patterns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Paso Otero archaeological locality (Pampean region, Argentina) has provided detailed paleoenvironmental reconstructions and faunal assemblages from the Pleistocene/Holocene transition and Early Holocene. This time span is represented by Paso Otero 5 (c. 10 450–10 200 14C BP; 12 593–11 353 cal. BP) and Paso Otero 4 (c. 9900–7700 14C BP; 10 667–7982 cal. BP). Palaeoenvironmental studies have been carried out on the basis of data derived from geoarchaeological, sedimentary, palynofacies, pollen, diatoms and silica microremains. Unlike other areas of the Pampean region, bone assemblages from Paso Otero include high representation and diversity of taxa. In this paper, paleoenvironmental reconstructions and faunal assemblages from both sites are integrated in order to discuss the consistency of the inferences derived from the two lines of evidence, its contribution to the paleoecological scenarios, and to faunal extinctions. It is suggested that not only hunting pressure but the mere presence of humans was a factor in ecosystem disturbance and is the most parsimonious explanation for the process of extinction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Archaeological deposits in continental Patagonia that allow an adequate discussion of the exploitation of seabirds, particularly the Spheniscidae, are scarce. In many cases, characteristics of bone assemblages seem to indicate the natural incorporation of penguin bones into archaeological contexts. This suggests it is not always possible to support the argument that the presence of penguin remains indicates, a priori, consumption by humans. The Bajada de los Pescadores (BP2) site, San Matías Gulf (Río Negro, Patagonia, Argentina), provides a case study that allows the origin of these deposits and their contents to be evaluated in terms of the exploitation of penguins and other marine resources by hunter-gatherers during the Late Holocene. This paper discusses the origin of the archaeological deposit, its context, and the agents involved in its formation. The analysis used criteria formulated previously in the framework of actualistic taphonomic observations, with the aim of assessing the integrity of this sample, and evaluating its contribution towards clarifying the role of penguins in the subsistence of people on the northern Patagonian coast. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The ethnohistorical and archaeological bibliography on mortuary practices of the indigenous societies of Pampa and Patagonia refers extensively to the use of the envelope of bodies, for different purposes. One has been to facilitate the transport of the deceased until their final place of burial. This practice has been registered on the Chenque I site, a hunters- and-gatherers cemetery located in the Parque Nacional Lihué Calel, La Pampa, Argentina, used during the last part of late Holocene. It was applied both for primary as to secondary burials, being single and multiple. Some burials surrounded by a whitish doughy substance, where shell beads are imbricated, were recovered during the excavations carried out in various areas of the site. The purpose of this paper is to communicate the results of the verification methods applied to the aforementioned substance to corroborate that it is the product of the taphonomic degradation of leather. These methods allowed an approach to the identification of the species employed, possibly Rheidae. Secondly, the state of preservation of enveloped burials was compared with others without it, in order to inquire whether this mortuary practice had an effective role in protecting the human remains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Middle Holocene is a particular time period in which there are uneven environmental dynamics all along the southern portion of the continent. Whereas in the Puna, extreme aridity and high temperatures (the so-called “Hypsithermal” period) have been recorded, a more humid and rainy phase dominated southern Tierra del Fuego. The present paper explores the palaeoenvironmental situation of Isla de los Estados (Staaten Island, 54°38′–54°55′ S; 63°48′–64°46′ W) and its relationship with the archaeological record left behind by ancient canoeing people. The considered period is characterized by exceptionally windy conditions. The palaeoenvironmental information could be used as an explanation for the absence of cultural remains and also for the scarce archaeological record for Península Mitre. At the beginning of the Middle Holocene, the diatom record shows a large amount of Aulacoseira sp that could indicate either windy conditions or higher water levels at the site core. The more distinctive changes in the diatom assemblages occurred at ca. 5000 cal B.P., suggesting a shallower water level and more acidic conditions. By 3000 cal B.P., the diatom species are strongly linked to peat and swampy environments. However, during the late Holocene, milder conditions might have favored seasonal travelling to the outer islands of the Fuegian Archipelago, though no definitive or permanent settlements have been found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to discuss hunter-gatherer settlements on coastal sand dunes in the Southwest of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina). Technological, archaeofaunal and radiocarbon information from Barrio Las Dunas site is presented, and compared with the context of other Pampean coastal sites. Barrio Las Dunas site is located on a sand dune and shows a hunter-gatherers settlement from 6900 14C BP. The archaeofaunal context demonstrates the exploitation of marine taxa: mammals (Otariidae) and fish (Pogonias cromis). Lithic tools such as end scrapers, side scrapers, denticulates, notches and many retouched flake tools were identified. Also, some carefully worked unifacial and bifacial tools were recovered. Artifacts were mainly manufactured from basalt, followed by quartzite and subarkose. The data presented supports some palaeoenvironmental considerations: first that the southwest Atlantic coast sand dunes of Buenos Aires province date from the Early-Middle Holocene and second, that Barrio Las Dunas site was next to a coastal lagoon or estuarine palaeoenvironment with a crab community. This context was appropriate for black drum feeding. Early-Middle Holocene sites from the area illustrate the variability of coastal environments when different landforms, which included lagoons, marsh, sand dunes and beaches, were present in the landscape. The sand dunes were used by hunter-gatherers in their periodic activities; e.g., lithic artifacts were manufactured and sea lions and black drums were butchered and eaten. This data in addition to the areal information show a complex use of the coast during this period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyzes the spatial organization of two layers corresponding to the first half of the Middle Holocene from the Hornillos 2 rockshelter (Susques, Jujuy Province). Some important issues taken into account are the good preservation of the site and the sedimentary deposition processes which coincide with paleoclimate aspects. Correlation of different archaeological lines of evidence allows interpretation of the connection between several activity areas and their occupational intensity. There is a trash heap related to a short occupation period at the beginning of the Middle Holocene and a main zone of intense activity ca. 6200 yrs BP. These facts are in accordance with the archaeological expectations proposed for certain periods of the Middle Holocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The apparently regular and favourable climate that characterizes the Holocene as an interglacial period shows, however, important climatic instability well documented in the Northern Hemisphere. These fluctuations from colder to warmer or wetter to drier affected both biodiversity and human societies in the last 12,000 years, although the impact in Southern America is still poorly known. We are here investigating the biodiversity of small mammal faunas, more sensitive to climatic changes than large mammals, combining taphonomic and palaeoecological data in the Argentine Pampas to better understand the global nature and effect of these Holocene climatic fluctuations. This paper is pioneering applying in this region palaeoecological methodologies practised in European sites, such as the chorotype classification and biomes overlap analyses. The Pampean Region is an ecotone with a confluence of three climatic regions where any change in climatic conditions should be easily detected. Our results, based on the palaeoecological requirements of small mammals, do not indicate severe changes, and most of the sites show climatic stability except for one of them, in which a possible trend towards present conditions (temperate/humid) can be inferred. • New palaeoecological methodologies are applied to the Pampean Region. • Microfauna is the best climatic indicator if multiproxy interpretations are considered. • Cave vs. open-air sites influence the composition of fossil small mammal assemblages. • Human activities in the past can distort palaeoecological interpretations. • Noticeable climatic events in the Northern hemisphere are soften/absent in the South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]