Actualistic Taphonomy in the Northeast of the Santa Cruz Plateau (Argentina). Advances and Archaeological Implications

L. MARCHIONNI; D. HERMO; B. MOSQUERA; L. MAGNIN; L. MIOTTI; ELOISA GARCÍA AÑINO

Actualistic Taphonomy in South America

Springer

Año: 2020; p. 169 - 191

This paper presents the first advances made in the framework of the actualistic taphonomy project that we recently started in the northeast of the Central Plateauof Santa Cruz, Patagonia Argentina. The main goal of this project is to strengthen,through this line of study, the archaeological interpretations of the área. Here wepresent the results corresponding to the field works developed between 2016 and2017 in three archaeological localities, with the objective to assess the potential ofthe different characteristic environments of the area to accumulate, disperse, preserve, destroy and bury bone remains. The survey was carried out at a broad spatialscale and was based on systematic observations through transects in which taphonomic and environmental data were recorded. The results obtained offer the firstapproach to determine which are the environments with the greatest potential for thenatural incorporation of bones into the archaeological record and the heterogeneitywith which different taphonomic agents and processes operate in each one. This workprovides new information for the Central Plateau region and reflects the developmentof a new line of research for the area, from which systematic data are provided thatcontribute not only to improve the interpretations of the archaeological assemblagesfrom the region, but also favor the comparison with neighboring regions.