El Paraje Ewan, Un Lugar de Reunión Selknam En el Centro de la Isla

BOGDANOVIC I; CAMAROS E; DE ANGELIS; LASA A.; MANSUR M; MAXIMIANO A; PARMIGIANI V; PIQUÉ R Y ORIOL V

Arqueología de Patagonia: una mirada desde el último confín

Utopias

Lugar: Ushuaia; Año: 2008;

Investigations carried out since 2003 in Tierra del Fuego were focused on the analysis of two sites at the Ewan locality. Ewan I is located in a clearing in the forest, and it conserves parts of a hut structure; Ewan II is inside the forest, under the ground, formed by a smaller structure. They are separated by an intermediate area about 200 m long. This settlement pattern is coherent with the one described in the ethnographic literature for the Hain ceremony. Excavation and analysis of both sites allowed to propose a model where Ewan I is considered as a ceremonial hut and Ewan II as a domestic unit. In order to contrast the model, new surveys were developed around Ewan II, using methodologies adapted to the environmental characteristics of the forest and the hypothesis proposed. In this paper we present the design and methodology of surveys and their results. Three new fireplaces were discovered, thus bringing the number of domestic units to at least four. The spatial pattern of units and the results from different analysis (zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, etc.) on Ewan I and Ewan II materials allow us to confirm the model proposed about ceremonial utilizations of the site.