Obsidian on the Island: First Geochemical Characterization for Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park (Patagonia, Argentina)

FEDERICO L. SCARTASCINI; M. VICTORIA FERNÁNDEZ; ADAM HAJDUK; MICHAEL D. GLASCOCK; BRANDI LEE MAC DONALD; JUAN I. FALCO; ALHUE BAY GAVUZZO; RAMIRO BARBERENA

Latin American Antiquity

Society for American Archaeology

Lugar: Washington DC; Año: 2023 p. 1 - 6

1045-6635

We present the first geochemical data of archaeological obsidian for Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park in Patagonia. XRF analyses were performed on 15 samples of obsidian-like rocks from the Puerto Tranquilo 1 site. Only five of the artifacts—all of which come from upper levels of the site—correspond to obsidian as a raw material. The provenance analysis indicates the use of obsidian sources located in the Andean Forest area of southern Neuquen Province. Based on these preliminary results, we propose a north–south circulation axis for this raw material. These geographic results are discussed in relation to the information available regionally.