Bone technology at Cueva Maripe site: a step towards the standardization of designs

LAURA MARCHIONNI; LAURA MIOTTI

Buenos Aires

Simposio; 11th International Symposium of Knappable Materials "from toolstone to stone tools"; 2017

IMIHICIHU-CONICET

While zooarcheologicalstudies in Argentina have always had a strong focus on human subsistence, thosedealing with the use of bone as raw material for the manufacture of tools and ornamentshave not been as widely developed (Borrero and Borella 2010; Buc and PérezJimeno 2010, Cornaglia and Buc 2013; Miotti 1998, Scheinsohn 1997, 2013 amongothers). However, the zooarcheological research carried out in different placesof the Argentinian Patagonia has shown the importance of bone as raw materialin the past of the region (Buc and Cruz 2014; Miotti 1998; Paunero and Ramos2010; Scheinsohn 1997, 2013, 2016). In a more recent work, we proposed two hypotheses:the first stated that this technology was fully known and used since thebeginning of the peopling of the Central Plateau in Santa Cruz province (ca. 12 ky BP), and the second suggestedthat in this sector during the middle Holocene, bone use increased andstandardized tools appeared (Miotti and Marchionni 2013). In this work, wepropose to move forward in connection with the handling or management of bone asa raw material, placing the emphasis on the evaluation and definition of thestandardization indicators of formal and informal bone artifacts for humanoccupation after 7.7 ky BP at Cueva Maripe site. The obtained results will bediscussed within the regional archaeological context.