Differential Distribution of Projectile Points in Southern Patagonia during the Early Holocene: Peopling Implications?

ABSTRACT

There is still debate about when and how the peopling process of South America developed, particularly in southern Patagonia. Earliest evidence corresponds to chronologies beginning at circa 11,000 radiocarbon years ago. Regarding the archaeological record, discussions about early peopling often have been related to the existence of a particular type of projectile point: the fishtail point. This work aims to evaluate the initial peopling of southern Patagonia by mainly focusing on the processes which operated in central-western Santa Cruz province (Argentina). We analyze the distributions of fishtail points as well as stemless projectile points, which also could be related to early occupation contexts. Likewise, other evidence is considered, such as the differential use of black obsidian coming from the important source of Pampa del Asador.

KEYWORDS:

• Southern Patagonia
• peopling
• projectile-point design
• distribution
• obsidian

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by Universidad de Buenos Aires under Grant UBACYT No. 20020170100150BA; Agencia Nacional de de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica under Grant PICT 201-0373, and Secretaría de Cultura de la Nación (Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano) under project “Rescate de la Cultura Prehistórica Patagónica”. We thank Asociación Identidad de Perito Moreno and Museo Carlos Gradin, the Gobernador Gregores and Lago Posadas communities, local estancias, Administración de Parques Nacionales, Goldcorp, investigators and students from our research team, and Damián Bozzutto (CONICET), Carlos Aschero (CONICET), Laura Miotti (CONICET) and Luis Horta (UNLR), who kindly facilitated regional images. Paleontological determinations for ADG were provided by Susana Bargo (UNLP), Federico Agnolin (CONICET/ Museo Bernardino Rivadavia), Nicolás Chimento (CONICET/ Museo Bernardino Rivadavia), Sergio Bogan (Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara), and Diego Rindel (CONICET). We would also like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Josefina Flores Coni holds a PhD degree from Universidad de Buenos Aires. She has a post-doctoral scholarship from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and carries out her archaeological research in Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano (INAPL) in Buenos Aires. Her research is focused in technology from hunter-gatherers in Patagonia.

Gisela Cassiodoro has a PhD in Archaeology from Universidad de Buenos Aires. She is a researcher from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and Professor at Universidad de Buenos Aires. Her research is centered in the technological aspects of hunter-gatherer groups from Patagonia.

Agustín Agnolin is a PhD from Universidad de Buenos Aires and works in the Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Lationamericano (INAPL). His research interests center on hunter-gatherer archaeology and the relationships between cultural change and environmental change. He has participated in archaeological research in Argentine Patagonia and Buenos Aires city.

Rafael Goñi PhD is Main Researcher in Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano (INAPL) and a Professor at Universidad de Buenos Aires. His work is currently based in Patagonian archaeology mainly focused in hunter-gatherer mobility and strategies related to environmental changes. He has led several research programs in Santa Cruz province.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Universidad de Buenos Aires [grant number UBACYT20020170100150BA]; Agencia Nacional de de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica under Grant [PICT 201-0373], and Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación (Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano) under project “Rescate de la Cultura Prehistórica Patagónica”.