Archaeological Research at NW Patagonia (Argentina)

BELLELLI, CRISTINA; CARBALLIDO CALATAYUD, M.,; FERNÁNDEZ, P.; PODESTÁ, M. M.; SCHEINSOHN, VIVIAN

ANTIQUITY

Antiquity

Lugar: York; Año: 2004 vol. 78 p. 4 - 4

0003-598X

Archaeological research in Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42º (CA42, NW Chubut Province and SW Río Negro Province, NW Patagonia, Argentina) began in 1995 (Map). At first the main concern was to record and preserve endangered rock art sites discovered in that area (Bellelli et al. 1998 and 1999, Podestá et al. 2000). Later, archaeological research was developed in order to answer questions about the role of the Andean Patagonian forests in past hunter-gatherers' adaptive strategies. Research was focused at the south of CA42, in the Cholila locality (Map). The first step comprised geomorphological, taphonomical and distributional studies as well as prospection and survey (Bellelli et al. 2000 a and b, Fernández 1999, Scheinsohn 2001). As a forest/steppe ecotone, the area has severe visibility problems that merited the development of special methodologies (Scheinsohn 2001, Scheinsohn & Matteucci 2004) (Fig 1).