Use and forget: Contribution to the discussion about the bone tools called “machacadores” (pounders), Patagonia, South America

SANTIAGO, FERNANDO C.; PAL, NELIDA; SALEMME, MÓNICA C.; BARTOLI, VALERIA; LASA, ADRIANA

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Elsevier Ltd

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2019 vol. 28

2352-409X

The aim of this contribution is to present the results obtained fromthe experimental program developed to replicate these artefacts thatSantiago et al. (2019) called epiphysis with flake negatives, attachedflakes and crushing of fibers (ENLyAF for the Spanish acronyms, Epífisiscon Negativos de lascados, Lascas adheridas y Aplastamiento de Fibras).Likely, the goal is to reproduce from its production to its usage and, inturn, to compare the data obtained with the study of the archaeologicalspecimens. To that end, a reference collection organized by the authorswas employed. The last aim of this work is to contribute the origin ofthe features identified in different archaeological contexts on epiphysisof guanaco long bones to the long-standing discussion. Currently, twohypotheses about the genesis are proposed: A) it is a fracture technique,or a waste from fracturing associated with the marrow recovery and B)it is an informal artefact with traces resulting from the usage. The resultsachieved will be possible to unify the criteria for identifying such acharacteristic and frequent feature in the hunter-gatherer contexts,especially in Patagonia, while advancing in the definition of their usagepatterns