Mapping triangular unstemmed points across the Deseado massif (Santa Cruz, Argentina)

MAGNIN LUCIA; HERMO DARIO; LYNCH VIRGINIA; MOSQUERA BRUNO

Simposio; 11th International Symposium on knappable materials: from toolstone; 2017

The projectile points called Magallanes III, ?Toldenses? or triangular non-stemmed points have been reported in different archeological sites of Patagonia, in a very extensive area from the Andean range to the Atlantic Ocean coast, and from the north Patagonian pre-cordillera to the south end of the continent. However, the highest frequency of these projectile points has been recorded in the north of Santa Cruz province. The radiocarbon dates associated with these objects encompass a wide time span, from ca. 9,000 years BP in Los Toldos, Río Pinturas Area and Perito Moreno National Park to ca. 3,400 years BP in the Río Pinturas Area. The aim of this work is to construct a regional spatial database and explore the distribution of this particular points design in the north of Santa Cruz and its bordering area, analyzing their frequencies as well as metric and technological attributes. To achieve this goal, georreferenced locations are mapped and exploratory analysis are held to make an evaluation of their regional distribution. As in previous studies carried out with rock art motifs, this preliminary study of the projectile points distribution is a complementary approach to the archaeological study of mobility and interaction between hunter gatherers on a regional scale.