The exploitation of coastal resources and space use patterns in norpatagonian coast during Late Holocene times

F. BORELLA; C. M. FAVIER DUBOIS; L. MANZI

Ciudad de México

Workshop; International Council for Archaeozoology (ICAZ); 2006

Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH)

This presentation focuses in the use of a variety of maritime resources (molluscs, sea mammals, fishes, crabs, sea birds) by terrestrial hunter-gatherers populations inhabiting the north patagonian coastline (northern San Matias Gulf) as a main factor affecting site distribution patterns. We explore also the role of coastlines resources with other critical variables such as fresh water availability and coastal geomorphology. We propose a repeated use of the coastal space as a part of the mobility of these groups since mid-Holocene times, focusing on preferred location of particular resource’s combination as “atractors”. We approach the archaeological record by a distributional methodology, combining the distributional pattern with the available resource base information, and adding formation processes principles for evaluating archaeological visibility. As a final result we generate an GIS based model as a preliminary scheme of land past use during Mid-Late Holocene times.