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During the final Late Holocene, there was a socio‐economic reorganization among the people in the central‐western of Santa Cruz, Argentina. Analysis of bone collagen revealed that hunter–gatherer groups maintained a consistent diet rich in steppe animal protein for the past 3000 years. However, there was a change in bioapatite δ13C values in the last 1000 years, indicating a shift in the whole diet that was not reflected in the protein component. This article seeks to evaluate the differential consumption of resources over time and between sexes among hunter–gatherer populations in the region. A total of 39 adult individuals of both sexes, recovered from stone burial structures with different chronologies, were analyzed. Quantitative diet reconstruction was achieved through the use of the Bayesian mixing model known as Food Reconstruction Using Isotopic Transferred Signals (FRUITS). The results show that the guanaco (Lama guanicoe) was the most consumed animal throughout the studied period, considering both temporal and sex differences. Additionally, there is an increased importance of plant consumption in the last millennium, particularly among females. However, this can be the result of overrepresentation of this resource in our food web samples, due to the impossibility of resolving the origin of the carbon for the formation of bioapatite values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the functionality of a sample of lithic tools from a multiproxy perspective. The artifacts come from a mid-Holocene hunter-gatherers’ occupation of the La Mesada site in Patagonia. The perspective involves the examination of use-wear traces, hafting wear, and organic micro-residues. The experimental program that supports this perspective is presented. Use-wear traces and organic residues were recognized in the distal portion of the archaeological artifacts. Meanwhile, some tools, in the proximal and middle portion, present alterations attributable to hafting in combination with animal and vegetable residues. The production sequence of a particular artifact design is discussed, with distinctive aspects regarding regional trends. Practices related to plant management were identified that allow the evaluation of mobility circuits and interchange mechanisms of these societies.

This article examines the ungulate exploitation strategies of hunter-gatherer groups at Perito Moreno National Park (Santa Cruz Province, Argentina). In this ecotonal zone, guanaco (Lama guanicoe) and huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) have been the main prey from the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene transition. The faunal assemblage analyzed correspond to a mid-Holocene midden (ca. 5000 years BP) from Cerro Casa de Piedra 7. The results point out that guanaco was the dominant prey, with a complementary contribution from huemul. The variety of anatomical parts and the diversity and frequency of butchery marks indicated an intensive exploitation of these resources. The exploitation of guanaco would have been focused mainly on family groups, with a dominance of prime-aged adults. The demographic increase in guanaco populations that occurred during the Middle Holocene, as indicated by molecular research in Patagonia, would have allowed this prey selection without negative ecological consequences. Meanwhile, huemul remains did not register a predatory selection based on age or sex. Ungulate ethology and demography offer a significant key to understanding the differences in the hunting strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological record of the Province of Santa Cruz's north Atlantic coast in Argentine Patagonia is represented mainly by middens. These shell middens are made up of the calcareous exoskeletons of mollusks, as well as skeletal remains of vertebrate fauna, lithic artifacts, and carbonized plant remains, intermixed with a varying quantity of sedimentary soil. Recently, along the Lower Basin of the Deseado River, outcrops have been identified that would have functioned in the past as rock shelters for hunter-gatherers who occupied the area during the Middle and Late Holocene. With the aim of expanding our knowledge concerning the dynamics of use of coastal spaces, we began a stratigraphic study of the shell middens and rock shelters. Here, we present a comparative analysis of the occupation characteristics registered at both types of sites and their possible structuring in terms of mobility and functionality. Rock shelters would have functioned primarily as contexts for short-term activities related to the processing and consumption of fauna, mainly terrestrial and to a lesser extent marine fauna. These probably structured seasonal mobility strategies that linked coastal shell middens, defined as multiple activity contexts, with hinterland areas that might have been related to the specific pursuit of other activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article presents a theoretical model of the human settlement of northwestern and central-western Patagonia (including both mountain ranges, currently in Argentina and Chile), based on the analysis of funerary and non-funerary records of hunter-gatherer populations whose chronologies extend from the last 12,500 years BP to the present. To build this model, the Patagonia settlement model proposed by Luis Borrero and those developed by John Walthall and Gustavo Barrientos for the treatment and disposal of the dead were considered. The location of the archaeological contexts was also taken into account, based on the type of environments present (forest/ecotone and steppe). The stages of human settlement are identified based on variables defined to characterize the funerary and non-funerary records. The results suggest that some sectors within the research area were occupied continuously throughout the period considered, whereas others were occupied discontinuously. In accordance with this, the different stages of settlement are manifested. This work proposes, in short, a novel approach for the funerary and non-funerary records of the research area and inserts it into the regional discussion of the human settlement of Patagonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the central topics of discussion in the archaeology of Patagonia is traditionally framed around the temporal depth of human occupations and its relationship with the study of the mobility strategies of hunter-gatherer groups that inhabited different spaces. From the calibration and the sum of probabilities of an updated sample of radiocarbon dates obtained for the lower basin of the Deseado River, a discontinuous occupational sequence is identified that develops during the Middle and Late Holocene. Paleoclimatic information on a regional scale and the exploratory nature of human occupations suggest that a chronological hiatus identified toward the end of the middle Holocene (4988-3978 cal BP) could be linked to abandonment and relocation strategies responding to arid conditions that would have configured an environment with scarce water availability. During the final Late Holocene (between ca. 1500 and 300 cal BP), the record of widely populated coastal spaces and the identification of a marked growth in the probability density of the dating distribution curve suggest a trajectory toward a population increase within the framework of mobility strategies associated with the Atlantic coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista del Museo de Antropología is the property of Museo de Antropologia - IDACOR and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper revises paleoenvironmental data from Patagonia (southern South America) to discuss the occurrence, characteristics, and human impact of the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA). The analysis of continuous paleoenvironmental archives with multidecadal-to-centennial resolution is based on a quality assessment regarding data interpretation, chronological control, and time range adequacy within the MCA lapse. After applying this three-stepped quality filters on the total dataset (N = 48), 18 cases can accurately be ascribed to the MCA. Except for two sites indicating wetter conditions, these records show dry and/or warm conditions between ca. 750 and 1350 CE (core period at ca. 800–1200 CE). Even though MCA records come mostly from forests and forest-steppe ecotones, all previous archeological hypotheses about the MCA effects on past hunter-gatherers were proposed for the steppes, particularly in southern sectors, thus requiring an assessment of the source of the signal, their synchronicity and causality between human-environmental processes. In the southern steppe, paleoenvironmental records partially overlapping with the MCA time window actually show a predominance of wet conditions between 47° and 50° S, whereas a generalized aridity is recorded in southern tip of the continental Patagonia between 51° and 52° S. Thus, a complex scenario of landscape fragmentation can be supported in the southern steppes during the MCA, produced not only by enhanced aridity in dry environments, but also because of the presence of wet and more resilient areas. This landscape heterogeneity must be considered to deepen the understanding of behavioral changes contemporaneous to the MCA. However, a scenario of demographic growth suggested around 1000 CE for the entire Patagonia could have promoted human changes similar to those expected for the MCA. Finally, no-archeological discussions linked to the MCA were developed for forest regions, despite their robust paleoenvironmental records, implying that changes in proxy data might not have necessarily involved important environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Intersecciones en Antropología is the property of Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study of human-gatherers societies' demography used to be a difficult task due to the lack of direct evidence to support the estimations. This is the case of several human groups from Pacific Patagonia whose historical population size estimations are controversial. This study estimated the historical population size for the Kawésqar people using direct and indirect evidence. Thus, we collated past estimations from experts and encounter rates distribution in time and space to generate a statistical approximation for population size. We used weights to include the reliability of such past estimations under three modeling scenarios. Our results indicate that the historical population ranged roughly between 3700 and 3900 individuals before the massive contact with Chileans and European people. The approach developed here for combining and integrating different evidence for estimating population in Kawésqar people, emerges as a promising and valuable tool to study the demography of other hunter-gatherer societies in South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista del Museo de Antropología is the property of Museo de Antropologia - IDACOR and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Boletín del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is the property of Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article, we present the first results of the determination of season at death performed over eighteen South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) teeth recovered at Cueva del Negro site (northern coast of the Santa Cruz Province, Patagonia, Argentina). Age and season of death was determined by growth-layer analysis on sea lion teeth. This analysis allowed us to suggest potential aboriginal hunting strategies regarding the capture of these pinnipeds. Our results indicate that sea lions were hunted between summer and early fall, more precisely between January and April. This would reflect a marked seasonality in relation to sea lion availability, which could be explained in terms of mobility and subsistence strategies of the human groups that inhabited the area. In this sense, our results are discussed taking into consideration paleodietary data and the existing archaeological studies.

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a joint disease characterized by the detachment or separation of an articular cartilage fragment and subchondral bone in joint epiphyses. It has been diagnosed in archaeological skeletons worldwide but scarcely studied in hunter‐gatherer skeletal remains. The aim of this paper is to analyse the variation of OCD in skeletons of past populations that lived in Southern Patagonia during the Late Holocene, which can be useful to improve our understanding about the effects of the mechanical demands in hunter‐gatherers. The overall prevalence observed in this sample (40.5%), higher than the data reported for current populations and mostly located in the shoulder of young and middle adult males of terrestrial and maritime hunter‐gatherers, suggests that physical activity involved in both economic strategies would have played an important role in the development of OCD. The contact with European colonizers does not seem to have produced differences in the prevalence of OCD, although more dated skeletons are needed to test this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Studies on population genetics have become highly relevant for understanding the evolutionary history of human settlement in southern South America. The eastern Pampa–Patagonia transition is an area that stands out due to its complex population dynamics, especially during the last about 1,000 years BP. The aim of this work is to characterize the maternal lineages of individuals buried in the Paso Alsina 1 archaeological site (ca. 500 years BP) through the analysis of mitochondrial genetic variability, in order to discuss the population models previously proposed for the southern cone of South America. Methods: Mitochondrial HyperVariable Region I sequences were analyzed on teeth belonging to 20 adult individuals. Statistical analyses were carried out to compare the interpopulation and intrapopulation molecular variability between the results obtained in this work and those previously published data from pre‐Hispanic human groups. D1 haplotype network was constructed drawing from data on ancient and extant population group samples. Results: Thirteen sequences (65%) were obtained from the 20 analyzed samples. The maternal lineages or subhaplogroups identified were D1g (69.24%), C1 (15.38%), D1 (7.69%), and D1j (7.69%). There was low haplotype variability within the site; some individuals could be matrilineally related. Discussion The subhaplogroups registered in Paso Alsina 1 site are in accordance with those reported for ancient and contemporary Patagonian populations. The results suggest that an initial nucleus of individuals carrying mostly subhaplogroup D1g settled in northern Patagonia, from which local diversity of this matrilineage could have arisen. The existence of gene flow in the final late Holocene with groups from Northern Andean Patagonia, as well as from Central Argentina, is proposed. The D1j variant probably developed in the latter region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guanaco (Lama guanicoe) was a key staple hunted by foragers throughout the Holocene in southern South America. Stable isotope analyses provide insights about guanaco long-term ecology. Particularly, the characterization of prey habitat and feeding behavior in the past is of the utmost interest for zooarchaeological models. Therefore, we evaluate δ13C and δ15N variation in guanacos inhabiting different C3 plant communities in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). δ13C and δ15N values derived from bone collagen samples (n = 60), both archeological and modern, serve as geographical markers of forest-steppe environments during the late Holocene. Increased isotopic variation in the middle Holocene could be related either to variations in the terrestrial baseline or to changing dietary behavior of guanacos in a fluctuating environment. Measures of isotopic variability did not clearly correlate to hunting strategies, since areas with similar patterns in the exploitation of guanacos show differences in their isotopic niche size and distribution. Among the samples from the southern coast, there is a strong negative correlation between δ13C and δ15N. This is a trend not observed in herbivores from the forests of continental Patagonia, suggesting that different factors structure natural isotopic variation in guanacos from the Fuegian forest. δ13C and δ15N variation on bone assemblages probably reflect that guanacos fed in confined home-ranges, as it is observed in modern populations, and that hunting activities were developed at patches relatively close to the sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human remains from the Rio Bote 1 site are a new opportunity to study the mortuary record in upper Santa Cruz River basin from ca. 3800 and 3600 yr BP. The aim of this study was to address the formation processes affecting burials in such archaeological site using the taphonomic analysis of the human bone remains. The information from this site and others at southern Patagonia with similar dates points toward the existence of different depositional environments promoting the survival of the remains. At Río Bote 1, the burials present different preservation degrees related to the age and position of the individual burial in the sedimentological substrate. [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]

Copyright of Revista del Museo de Antropología is the property of Museo de Antropologia - IDACOR and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Intersecciones en Antropología is the property of Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this article is to present the first results on the technological trends identified for the middle Holocene in the lower basin of the Colorado River (Buenos Aires Province). For this purpose, the lithic assemblage of La Modesta site was analyzed. The occupations of this site were dated between ca. 5900 and 5600 14C years BP. So far, the known archaeological information for this temporal lapse in the area was restricted to the study of human burials that were found in modern pebble quarries near the Atlantic coast. La Modesta lithic assemblage is in the interior portion of the study area. For this reason, this study consists on the first approach to the knowledge of the lithic technology of this scarcely known period in the eastern Pampean-Patagonian transition area. The methodology included the study of the exploited raw materials, the chaînes operatoires, the knapping methods and techniques, the tools production modalities, and the main characteristics of the typological groups. The results allowed expanding the knowledge of the lithic technology, already outlined in the study area for other temporal periods (initial and final Late Holocene). In general terms, it is proposed that the hunter-gatherers that inhabited the lower basin of the Colorado River had continuity in the knowledge about the raw materials management along the Middle and Late Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En este trabajo se presentan resultados preliminares correspondientes a dos regiones arqueológicas de Patagonia centro-meridional (Argentina): Sur del Macizo del Deseado (40 sitios) y Margen Norte del Río Santa Cruz (4035 metros de soporte rocoso relevado mediante 4 transectas). El objetivo principal es caracterizar el paisaje rupestre de cada región a partir de los tipos de motivos rupestres, las técnicas de ejecución, los tipos de soporte rocoso y las topografías utilizadas, evaluando tanto la potencial conservación diferencial de las imágenes grabadas y pintadas, derivada de sus distintas rocas soporte y del reparo ofrecido por la morfología de la topografía, como las pautas de producción subyacentes a las mismas. Se comparan los resultados obtenidos con aquellos publicados por otros autores sobre regiones vecinas marcando semejanzas y diferencias a grandes escalas espaciales, con el objeto de sugerir la existencia de sistemas de comunicación visual y de movilidad de poblaciones cazadoras-recolectoras a escala inter-regional.This paper presents preliminary research results of two archaeological regions located in central-southern Patagonia (Argentina): Sur del Macizo del Deseado (40 sites) and Margen Norte del Río Santa Cruz (4035 metres of bedrock recorded through 4 transects). The main aim of this paper is to characterise the rock art landscape of each region taking into account the motif types, rock art techniques, types of bedrock and types of topography used in each case; assessing both the differential conservation of engraved and painted images derived from different bedrock types and different shelter features offered by the topographic morphology, as well as their underlying production patterns. These research results are compared to those published by other authors in neighbouring regions, showing similarities and differences at large spatial scales, with the aim of suggesting the existence of systemas of visual communication and of hunter-gatherer mobility at an inter-regional scale.

Lichens are organisms capable of colonizing almost every type of materials, provided they are stable and have sufficient exposure to light. The growing of lichens on bone surface is rare, due to the speed to which this substrate is weathered and destroyed. For the most part, documented cases occur in extreme environments, such as the Arctic and Antarctic, where bone elements remain unaltered for long periods, although they have also been found in other latitudes. The aim of this paper is to describe the taxonomic diversity of the lichens growing on a set of human bones recovered at a looted Late Holocene aboriginal cairn burial (chenque) in southern continental Patagonia (Piedra Museo archaeological locality, Deseado Massif, Santa Cruz, Argentina). In the analyzed bone assemblage (NISP = 56), a total of 63 lichen thalli were recorded. They were assigned to seven different species, except one case that could only be determined at the genus level. This is the first well-described record of lichen flora growing on human bone remains for South America, having important implications for both archaeological and forensic sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Argentine Patagonia, the type of archaeological burial “in pit” has been only identified on the coast of Lángara Bay. This modality is characterized by the presence of single and multiple primary burials. Studies on five human burials in pits are presented in this article. The aim is to compare the contexts of burials in pit at the site level and the spatial characteristics of their distribution in the Lángara Bay locality from a diachronic perspective. The approach focuses on mortuary practices and social relations of hunter-gatherer groups during the Late Holocene. A characterization of the burials, their chronologies, bioarchaeological determinations, stable isotope studies, and their spatial distribution are included. The results allow us to chronologically place the contexts between ca. 3000 and 2000 cal BP. A spatial pattern in the distribution of burials in the coastal landscape was identified. Finally, it is proposed that this part of the Patagonian coast was a persistent place of burials in pit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to provide information on the analysis of stable isotopes obtained from bones of marine and terrestrial fauna used as potential food by hunter‐gatherers on the northern coast of Santa Cruz province (Argentine Patagonia). The results from the isotopic ecology are analysed to contribute to dietary interpretations of the human populations who lived in this area. The mean of terrestrial resources is −19.1‰ ± 1.8‰ and 9.2‰ ± 2.6‰ for δ13C and δ15N, respectively. Meanwhile, marine resources recorded a mean of δ13C −12.5‰ ± 1.2‰ and δ15N of 19.4‰ ± 2.4‰. The analysed human samples come from different types of burials dated mainly in the Late Holocene. The δ13C and δ15N isotopic values on human remains suggest the existence of different diets during the Late Holocene, including people who consumed mainly marine, terrestrial, and mixed proteins, with a range between −18‰ to −10.4‰ and 12.4‰ to 23.4‰ for δ13C and δ15N, respectively. Some of these isotopic values, which indicate marine diets, are the highest recorded for Patagonia. The influence of the marine spray on the terrestrial trophic chains is suggested for the Patagonian Atlantic coast, evidenced by higher values in the δ15N of guanacos from the coast in relation to others studied from the hinterland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storage of artifacts is a common behavior among hunter-gatherers. Archaeologically, caches have been identified in different places and time periods. In this paper, we focus on the discussion of the role of caches recovered along the southern boundary of the Deseado Massif, Argentine Patagonia. Two caches, attributed to the colonization of this environment have been identified. Cache information is integrated into the known archaeological record of this space and spaces nearby and compared with data on raw material availability. In order to evaluate the location of the caches and understand human strategies of landscape utilization during this time period, we use GIS approaches along with available paleoenvironmental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Cañadón Amarillo area in northwestern Patagonia (Mendoza Province, Argentina) presents a rich archaeological record contained within thick successions of fine-grained deposits with wellconstrained chronological and stratigraphic resolution. Geomorphological, sedimentological, and archaeological analysis of three archaeological localities, constrained by radiocarbon ages, was conducted to reconstruct site formation processes and depositional variability in an exposed, dryland setting. The archaeological sites are located in the Cañadón Amarillo area between the southern margin of the volcanic Payunia Plateau and the Colorado River, in an area of ephemeral streams and eolian sand sheets. The archaeological remains are preferentially contained in fine to very fine sand to silty sand deposits associated with the ephemeral streams. Low-energy fluvial deposition related to overbank flows, and eolian aggradation associated with coppice dunes, sand shadows, and unrippled and partially vegetated mantles have favored preservation of in situ archaeological materials. Our investigations provide insight into site formation processes in exposed settingswithin the semiarid parts of northwestern Patagonia and extend the local record of human occupation to ~7300 14Cyr B.P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portable Raman spectroscopy is applied for the first time on rock art paintings from hunter-gatherers in three different provinces in Patagonia, Argentina (Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut). Selected archaeological sites were examined, revealing the local 'palette' of the native population and, if possible, the technology used. Moreover, alteration products were investigated to obtain valuable information for a better conservation and preservation of these magnificent rock art paintings. During a single research campaign, 16 shelters and one cave were investigated, which makes this study as one of the most condensed expeditions on measuring rock art paintings. Here, we evaluate the use of our portable Raman instrument to analyse rock art paintings under extreme conditions in Patagonia, Argentina. Several improvements are proposed to maximize the quality of the research output in such condensed expeditions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent archaeobotanical studies on hunter-gatherer sites in the steppes of central western Patagonia, Chile, reveal new data on the use of plant resources throughout the Holocene, often previously assumed to be unimportant. The plant macroremains from two cave sites, El Chueco 1 (~11,500-180 cal bp) and Baño Nuevo 1 (∼10,800-3,000 cal bp), indicate that hunter-gatherers used locally available plants, of both restricted and extensive distributions, during the entire occupational sequences there. Due to the nature of these remains, we may indirectly infer their potential use as food, food sub-products, for fuel, or for making artefacts. Plant taxa, used as a seasonal indicator, suggest spring-summer occupations in the different periods of time defined for each site. Archaeobotanical data have proven valuable in complementing our view of the subsistence economy of prehistoric Patagonian steppe hunter-gatherer groups, not only by defining the botanical assemblages associated with the occupations, but also by contributing to define seasonality and the mobility strategies related to plant use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Maize consumption record from the northeast Patagonia is presented. • Archaeobotanical data is discussed with the oxygen isotopes (δ18O) on human remains. • Maize-consumers were local individuals who also consumed local wild plants. • Maize would have entered through exchange, probably from southern Andes. This paper discusses the maize consumption record among hunter-gatherers outside assumed production areas in northeastern Patagonia. We evaluated if this anomalous record is the result of occasional events of local production/consumption; the transport of the microremains in the teeth of individuals after consuming maize in non-local production areas; or the local consumption of maize after its transport/exchange from production areas. Archaeobotanical results showed that analyzed individuals, including maize-consumers, mainly consumed local wild plants. Maize was not cultivated locally, and its consumption was unusual but not extraordinary in northeastern Patagonia. Oxygen isotope values of analyzed individuals are strongly compatible with local water sources, which imply that the mobility range of them must have not exceeded extra-Andean North Patagonia. For this reason, the most plausible explanation for the presence of maize in the local archaeological record is that this plant to have entered northeastern Patagonia through exchange, probably from southern Andes (central Chile or central-west Argentina). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this paper is threefold: 1) to explore the spatial and temporal variations in age-at-death profiles of human remains from Southern Patagonia in order to test and discuss the hypothetical increasing demography during the late Holocene; 2) to evaluate probable biases in the skeletal samples derived from preservation issues, social organization features and/or mortuary behavior, and 3) to compare the results with those reported for other hunter-gatherer societies from Pampa and Patagonia regions, offering valuable insights about the age-at-death profiles and paleodemographic for other Southern South American hunter-gatherers with different social characteristics. Age-at-death profiles from Southern Patagonia below 50°S, corresponding to the middle-late Holocene (i.e., after ca. 5500 years before present -YBP-), were constructed from a skeletal series of 119 individuals. Sex and age distribution of the entire sample was firstly analyzed, and two other age-at-death profiles were thereafter built, dividing the sample by region (Santa Cruz/Magellan, Northern Tierra del Fuego and Southern Tierra del Fuego) and by chronology (5500–3500 YBP, 3500–1000 YBP, 1000–400 YBP and after 400 YBP). The results show an attritional profile with two peaks, the first one between 1.1 and 10 years-old and the other for the 20.1–35 age group. A low number of newborns younger than 1 year-old is observed. This could be the result of a low mortality rate for this age interval and a high parental care during the first period of childhood, although taphonomical and mortuary biases cannot be completely excluded. Adult males and females are similarly represented in each age category. Juvenile Index data are higher than 0.17 between 5500 and 400 YBP periods, suggesting population growth, with a particular demographic increase between 5500–3500 and 1000–400 YBP periods. During the contact period, fertility is dramatically reduced. The age-at-death profile is similar to other hunter-gatherer past populations from Pampa and Patagonia regions. Despite the differences regarding mobility strategies, social organization, demographic dynamics and mortuary behavior known for those societies, all profiles show a comparable bimodal attritional pattern, although some variation in the most represented age-groups and demographic growth is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the time of the first human exploration of Ultima Esperanza, Chile, swift climatic and environmental changes were taking place. The retreat of the Pleistocene glaciation and the formation of an ice-dammed proglacial lake east of the Cordillera created adequate conditions for human colonization. Volcanic activity, climatic oscillations, and concomitant floristic changes defined the environment encountered by the first hunter–gatherers arriving to Ultima Esperanza. The oldest archaeological evidence was deposited sometime between 10,930 and 10,410 BP and point to ephemeral occupations. The evidence from Ultima Esperanza is compared with other areas where early human presence was detected in Fuego-Patagonia. The hypothesis that the early human occupations at Cerro Benitez-Lago Sofía resulted from logistical exploitation from Pali Aike is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores latitudinal and chronological variations in the exploitation of marine fish by the hunter-gatherers who occupied the Atlantic coast of continental Patagonia, Argentina, since the mid-Holocene. Results indicate a spatial gradient in the importance of fish. A significant reduction in the frequency of fish remains in the archaeological sites occurs at higher latitudes. The chronological trends identified also suggest differences between the assemblages of the northern and southern coasts of this long littoral area. The results obtained are further discussed in relation to identified environmental and cultural variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this paper we focus on the regional/local scale of the archaeological record of the Central-West area of Chubut (Argentinean Patagonia) through the characterization of its regional taphonomy, considered from an archaeological perspective. We focus our research in the comparison of three different landscape situations: 1) a slope leading to highlands, 2) an azonal vegetal community (wetland or mallín ), and 3) a salt lake. Our main goal is to compare those situations, in order to determine the main taphonomic factors that regulate the archaeological material distribution in those locales. The ultimate goal is to address how past hunter–gatherers inhabited these landscapes. We depart from the assumption that distributions of artifacts are mainly explained by the action of post-depositional processes. To evaluate this assumption first we postulate a series of hypothesis and expectations for each locale, considering the main post-depositional agents present in them, and we evaluated if the patterns of material distributions can be explained by one or many of those processes. Only if explanation cannot be achieved by them, we recurred to human depositional activities. As a result we managed to explain most of the archaeological distributions in terms of post-depositional processes. Only in two cases we propose that human deposition occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to discuss hunter–gatherers' logistical mobility strategies in Central-Western Santa Cruz province during the last 2500 years BP, in a context of human adaptations to semi-desert conditions. The approach to the archaeological record is focused on integrating three independent lines of evidence: technology, zooarchaeological and anthracological analysis. Logistical mobility will be addressed focusing on two main aspects: resources transportation and variability of archaeological contexts. The observed variability has allowed shedding light on the use of the category “logistical” used to describe plateaus. Additionally, these areas show a well-planned and scheduled use during a regional process of desiccation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presentamos los resultados obtenidos durante una investigación orientada a la identificación de yacimientos y análisis de sus evidencias para reconstruir secuencias de ocupación de cazadores-recolectores marinos en diferentes puntos específicos de Patagonia Meridional. En este trabajo abordamos la caracterización de tres yacimientos arqueológicos de la localidad de Punta Santa Ana, estrecho de Magallanes. Los conjuntos estudiados corresponden a campamentos emplazados a distinta elevación sobre el nivel del mar actual, con antigüedades de 6300, 2700 y 700 años AP (no calibrados). Estos conjuntos habrían sido originados en lapsos cortos de tiempo y presentan una serie de características que sugieren discontinuidad en cuanto las tradiciones tecnológicas y estrategias de subsistencia a lo largo del tiempo.We present results of research focused on the identification of sites and the analysis of their archaeo-logical evidence in order to reconstruct occupation sequences of marine hunter-gatherer groups at specific localities of Southernmost Patagonia. In this paper we address the characterization of three archaeological sites at Punta Santa Ana area, Strait of Magellan. The studied assemblages are from camp-sites located at different elevations above current sea level, with dates of 6300, 2700 and 700 years BP (not calibrated). These assemblages have been formed in short time periods and have a number of features that suggest discontinuity in technological traditions and subsistence strategies over time.

El presente estudio aborda la excavación y análisis zooarqueológico y lítico de un pequeño alero con arte rupestre, ubicado en el curso medio del valle de Chacabuco (Patagonia central). Aunque el sitio y sus pictografías son conocidos desde hace años, su excavación permitió asociarlo con eventos de caza estival. La preparación y uso de variados artefactos líticos permite sospechar, sin embargo, de otras funciones dentro de visitas en un período restringido a unos pocos siglos. Una fecha de 2720±25 AP sugiere además que esta zona fue ocupada más regularmente y antes de lo que se creía, y aunque se confirma la relación con zonas orientales complementariamente al aprovechamiento de materias primas líticas locales.The present study addresses the excavation and faunal and lithic analysis of one small rock shelter with rock paintings on an Andean valley in South-Central Patagonia. Although the zooarchaeological context is largely concordant with summer hunting forays, the preparation and use of diverse lithic artefacts suggests other activities were performed at the site, besides its use as a hunting stand. A 2720±25 BP radiocarbon date at the base indicates also that this area was occupied earlier and perhaps more regularly than previously thought. Although the relationship with the eastern plains is confirmed, we observe also the use of local raw materials.

En este trabajo se analizan los principales argumentos utilizados desde diferentes perspectivas paleo-biológicas, paleo-lingüísticas, arqueológicas y antropológicas para explicar la diversidad y la conformación étnica de las poblaciones indígenas en Patagonia, tanto en el presente como en el pasado. Entendemos que una revisión conjunta y crítica de los supuestos disciplinares, sobre los cuales se continúa trabajando, permitirá observar e identificar los patrones que emergen del registro histórico, concernientes a la expresión de la variabilidad social patagónica. De igual modo, se propone una reflexión sobre las posibles proyecciones que plantea esta crítica hacia la exploración y la formulación de nuevas preguntas sobre el registro arqueológico. ENGLISH: This paper analyzes some of the main arguments from paleobiology, paleolinguistics, archaeology and anthropology to explain diversity and ethnic organization in the indigenous communities of Patagonia, both in the present and past. We believe that a critical review of the main assumptions from all these disciplines will allow us to observe and identify patterns emerging from the historical record of the expression of Patagonian social variability. Likewise, we suggest a new way of exploring the archaeological record rooted in critical theory.

Se presentan aquí los primeros resultados obtenidos en la meseta al sur de la desembocadura del río Santa Cruz, en la localidad conocida como Cañadón de los Mejillones, Estancia Monte Entrance. Los muestreos de materias primas realizados indican que, al igual que lo que ocurre más al sur, en el área del Parque Nacional de Monte León, la roca más abundantemente disponible es la dacita. Ésta fue la materia prima más frecuentemente utilizada para la confección de artefactos, generalmente de manera expeditiva, aunque cabe destacar la alta frecuencia de artefactos confeccionados sobre lascas obtenidas mediante extracciones centrípetas a partir de núcleos con plataformas preparadas. Esta tecnología ha sido datada en ca. 1.224 años AP en un conchero localizado en la desembocadura del cañadón, en asociación con evidencias de aprovechamiento de recursos marinos (moluscos y pinnípedos) y terrestres (guanaco). Los datos referidos a los restos malacológicos muestran la selección en favor de una única especie (lapas). Las ocupaciones más recientes en este cañadón, por otra parte, han sido datadas en ca. 478 años AP, en un contexto de asociación entre recursos terrestres y marinos, entre los cuales se registra una menor densidad de moluscos. Este contexto, pennecontemporáneo con momentos de contacto con grupos europeos, podría asociarse con un uso menos intenso de los recursos marinos y un mayor énfasis en los terrestres, como ha sido observado en otros sectores de la costa patagónica.The first results of researches carried on south of the mouth of the Santa Cruz river are presented in this paper. They were centered on Cañadón de los Mejillones, Monte Entrance ranch. The most abundant raw material in the area is dacite, which is also the most frequently one used by hunter-gatherers. It was frequently used in an expedient way. However, there is a high frequency of artifacts made on flakes obtained from prepared cores, with centripetal blows from faceted platforms. This technology was dated at ca. 1.224 years BP in a shell midden located south of the canyon mouth, with evidences of utilization of marine and terrestrial resources. Limpets are the most abundant molluscs, suggesting its selection by human populations. The most recent utilization of the canyon was dated at ca. 478 years BP. There are also evidences of utilization of terrestrial and marine resources, with a lower emphasis on molluscs. This could be related to a lower intensity of use of marine resources and a greater emphasis on the terrestrial ones, in a period which is pennecontemporaneus with the contact with european groups, as have been suggested for other spaces within the Patagonian coast.

El objetivo de esta comunicación es presentar nuevos datos bioarqueológicos sobre los restos óseos humanos procedentes del sitio arqueológico Cerro Yanquenao. El entierro corresponde a un individuo de sexo masculino de entre 40 y 50 años de edad, que presenta deformación de tipo tabular erecto, variedad plano-frontal. La datación obtenida indicó una antigüedad 1.151 ± 59 años radiocarbónicos AP. Los valores de 8C13 (-18,5%o) y de 8N15 (ll,5%o) se encuentran dentro de los rangos esperados para dietas continentales terrestres en Patagonia. Se identificaron distintas lesiones patológicas. Las más conspicuas corresponden a lesiones óseas en los miembros inferiores y superiores y en el cráneo que podrían ser compatibles con alguna variedad de treponematosis. Los resultados generales obtenidos se discuten en relación con los problemas de investigación y la información bioarqueológica actualmente vigente en la región.The purpose of this communication is to present a reassessment of bioarchaeological data of the skeletal remains from the archaeological site Cerro Yanquenao (Chubut, Argentina). The new studies indicate that this individual is a male, aged between 40-50 years at the time of death. The cranium shows artificial deformation of tabular erect type, planolambdic variety. A fragment of rib analyzed by AMS indicated an age of 1.151 ± 59 years BR 8C13 (-18.5 %o) and 8N15 (11.5 %o) values are within the range expected for terrestrial diets in continental Patagonia. Also, several bony lesions were identified. The most conspicuous ones were found in the upper and lower limbs and the skull and might be compatible with a variety of Treponematosis. These results are discussed in relation to the current approaches and bioarchaeological information known for the region.

Durante las investigaciones en la costa norte de Santa Cruz, se ha detectado una contradicción entre datos arqueológicos y etnohistóricos, especialmente para los siglos XVIII y XIX. En efecto, los datos arqueológicos indican un uso intensivo de los recursos marinos, en tanto que los etnohistóricos no hacen referencia a este fenómeno. Para resolver esta contradicción se plantea la hipótesis de que existió un abandono de la utilización de estos recursos en el periodo mencionado y se la pone a prueba en dos escalas. La primera escala es la comparación regional mediante la información radiocarbónica y faunística publicada por diversos autores para Patagonia Continental y la otra escala es local, analizando el cambio entre sitios y componentes anteriores y posteriores al contacto espacialmente próximos entre si. Para este último caso se utilizo la información de los sitios cañadón Giménez, bahía Solano 13 y bahía Solano 16. Estos primeros resultados avalan parcialmente la hipótesis planteada.During the research on the northern coast of Santa Cruz province it has been noticed a contra-diction between the archeological and ethnohistorical data, especially those referred to the 18th and 19th centuries. In fact, the archeological data suggest an intensive use of the marine resources, while the ethnohistorical ones are not related to this activity. To sort out this contradiction it was hypotheti-cally suggested that these resources were abandoned in the above mentioned period. This hypothesis is submitted to tests at two scales: the first scale implies comparing radiocarbon and fauna information collected throughout the área and published by different authors; the second scale is local and consists of analyzing the changes between sites and components cióse in space to each other before and after the contact. For this last case information from cañadón Giménez, bahía Solano 13 and bahía Solano 16 was used. These preliminar results partially support the hypothesis proposed.