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Surface site studies in Fuegian archaeology have mainly been undertaken with distributional or spatial approaches. However, issues related to integrity, resolution, and/or other aspects of site‐formation processes still require attention. In this study, the study of these processes is proposed as an initial step to enhancing the comprehension of human use‐of‐space and circulation in the Fuegian steppe. The Amalia 4 Site serves as an ideal case study to analyze the potential movement that was likely involved in the distribution of archaeological materials recorded on the surface. Different lines of evidence were evaluated: (a) Topographic aspects were related to the dimensions and weight of lithic artifacts and bone remains; (b) test pits and subsurface collections were carried out with the purpose of recording flakes and debris of less than 10 mm (microdebris) or other buried materials; (c) some retouched artifacts were observed at higher magnifications to evaluate differential alterations among exposure times; (d) an exhaustive task of refitting lithic artifacts was conducted; (e) a taphonomic study of the skeletal remains was carried out. The aim of all these studies was to contribute to the understanding of the postdepositional dynamics and to come up with alternative hypotheses in relation to site‐formation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the semiarid environment of the Fuegian steppe (Argentina), shallow lakes were intensively exploited by hunter-gatherers throughout the Holocene. The archaeological record concentrated along their shoreline frequently reports the first stages of the lithic reduction sequence. In this article, we consider rock availability at different coastal sectors in Lake Amalia. The data focus on the size and weight of the cobbles used as raw material (in Lake Amalia and nearby locations), aiming to compare transported material and that which is spatially located. We analyze information regarding the role played by shallow lakes in the exploitation of steppe environments and their importance in hunter-gatherers' mobility. We suggest that raw material frequency, size, and spatial distribution have conditioned space-use patterns in the Fuegian steppe. The Amalia locality study case sheds light on recurrent visits to specific places in these landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the access to animal resources during the Holocene using the evidence from a key site – Las Vueltas 1, LV1–, localized in the Northern steppe of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). The contexts analysed from this site yielded at least 85 individuals of Lama guanicoe (guanaco) based on MNI counts: 41 on surface level, 37 in the 3 rd occupation, 6 in the 2 nd , and just 1 in the 1 st . LV1 occupies a low aeolian dune between two lagoons bordered by Tertiary sandstone outcrops; it was interpreted as an appropriate space to capture, kill and process guanacos from the beginning of the Late Holocene. The most useful way to use this natural trap was to work in a communal strategy, implying the participation of several hunters. Furthermore, the site could have also been used for the capture of a single animal, or a reduced number of animals, as happened in the 2 nd occupation. As far as the context of the 3 rd occupation is concerned, it is proposed that this communal strategy may have been used at a larger scale, turning the site into a communal hunting area that we interpret as a “mass kill“ site. This hypothesis was supported by evidence such as the large amount of guanaco bone remains, the limited and specific range of the fauna assembled at the place, the catastrophic death pattern, the sex and age of hunted animals, a topography appropriate to ambush animals and the large number of fractured lithic points (when compared with other Fuegian sites). Certain conditions such as the topographic relief, hunting season, animal behaviour, social or political issues would have led hunter-gatherers to practice this kind of communal and mass hunting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological record of the northern steppe in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) is characterized by the occurrence of concentrations of archaeological material at the ground surface, coming from gullies and deflation hollows related to shallow lake coastal environments. This particular distribution becomes a challenge concerning the study of site formation processes, particularly in relation to the burial and exhumation of archaeological materials. Bone assemblages coming from three archaeological contexts (Tres Marías, Amalia 4 and Arturo 1) are analysed here, pointing to the features, damage and stability or movements that reveal their taphonomic histories. Geomorphological landscapes vary from each site, being represented by deflation hollows close to shallow lakes as well as gullies originating from the coast itself. The faunal assemblages are mostly dominated by Lama guanicoe bones. Variability in taxonomic composition, weathering profiles, mobility and stability of materials, as well as evidence of anthropic modifications, among other records, demonstrate the existence of different depositional events. The high variability observed suggests that several pre- and post-depositional processes were involved; thus, it results in complex taphonomic histories and low integrity that make their interpretation difficult in terms of human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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