Toward a better understanding of the distribution and use of lithic resources in southern Mendoza province, Argentina.

PÉREZ WINTER, C., R. CARPEN Y L. SALGÁN

Atlanta, U.S.A

Encuentro; 74th Annual Meetings of the Society for Archaeological Science; 2009

Society for Archaeological Science

Toward a better understanding of the distribution and use of lithic resources in southern Mendoza province, Argentina. Cecilia Perez Winter, Raven Carper & Laura Salgan   In southern Mendoza Province, Argentina, obisidans and their sources have become subjects of intensive study in recent years.  Mapping the geographic locations and geochemical signatures of obsidians can lead to important discussions of prehistoric behaviors as well as appropriate protection measures for the sources themselves.  It is clear from the archaeological record of the region, however, that obsidian did not become the most commonly used material until the late Holocene and considering other materials using the framework developed for obsidian is paramount to understanding Mendoza prehistory.  Here, we discuss recent methodological and theoretical approaches to mapping and interpreting the stone sources of southern Mendoza.