Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene Fishtail Points from Southernmost Patagonia (South America): An Estimation of Use-Life Using Experimental Data and Survival Curve Models

ABSTRACT

We report the first results of a shooting experiment performed with lithic point replicas of Fishtail points hafted as darts pursuing the aim to estimate the points’ use-lives and related size changes using survival and risk models. A total of 555 successful shots were done, ranging from one to 146 shots and from zero to four resharpenings. The obtained results suggest that Fishtail points have a long use life, with a median of 15 shots and most of them withstanding between three and four resharpenings. Survival and risk models note that point survival is significantly correlated to maximum point width and stem neck width. This opens new questions about longevity and survival probability of Fishtail points, offering empirical information to evaluate hunting strategies and comparative advantages in the use of different point technologies in the prehistory of southern Patagonia.

KEYWORDS:

• Experimental archaeology
• Fishtail points
• Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene
• southern Patagonia
• life history

Acknowledgements

Our thanks to the authorities of CENPAT who allowed us to carry out the experimentation in their facilities. We would like to thank the reviewers for the commentaries and suggestions made to the previous version of this paper.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica [grant number PICT 2018-1816], directed by Drs. M. Cardillo and J. Charlin.

Notes on contributors

Marcelo Cardillo

Marcelo Cardillo is a researcher for the Argentine National Research Council (CONICET) and professor at the University of Buenos Aires. His research focuses on lithic technology from northern Patagonia and statistical methods.

Judith Charlin

Judith Charlin is a researcher for the Argentine National Research Council (CONICET) and professor at the University of Buenos Aires. Her research focuses on lithic technology and rock art from southern Patagonia, applying statistical methods like geometric morphometrics.

Julian Eduardo Moreno

Eduardo Moreno is a researcher for the Argentine National Research Council (CONICET) and professor at the National University of Patagonia (Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut). His research focuses on archaeology of Central Patagonia.