The influence of spatial demarcations on the modelling of intrasite anthropic markers. An ethnoarchaeological case study from Lanashuaia-II, a shell midden in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina).

NEGRE, J.; ALVAREZ, MYRIAN.; BRIZ I GODINO, IVAN; DÉBORA ZURRO; JORGE CARO; RUIZ, J.

Siena

Congreso; Computer Applications in Archaeology; 2015

Computer Applications in Archaeology-Università di Siena

Functional areas in hunter-gatherer sites constitute one of the most challenging issues in Archaeology. Identifying and even defining what the social uses of the space were in a specific archaeological site are clear examples of these relevant matters in the study of prehistoric societies. From the correct identification and spatial modelling of the each anthropic marker, this is the human footprint in the archaeological record, depends the archaeological inference about the social operation of the site. Chemical analysis of archaeological floors has become a fundamental tool to identify this kind of markers and their meaning regarding functional uses of space. Usually, several interpolation techniques and Geostatistics approaches have been used in order to model these trends and identify their significance. Despite this remarkable improvement in data interpretation, some aspects of the analysis still need to be taken into evaluation. For example, one of the most important issues is the consideration of demarcations, such as walls or shell rings, into the spatial analysis of the chemical samples. Archaeological shell-middens from Tierra del Fuego constitute an optimum arena for studying the spatial behaviour of certain anthropic markers in hunter-gatherer sites for two main reasons: first, a good preservation of archaeological remains and secondly, a rich ethnographic record about hunter-fisher-gatherer societies who inhabited this region. These conditions make these archaeological sites a perfect scenario to test new ways to model coordinated data into a continuous surface taking into account spatial barriers. In this case, these demarcations would be constituted by a characteristic ring structure formed as a result of the deposition of malacological residues around perishable huts. The aim of this work is, therefore, double. First, to present the results of an intra-site spatial analysis based on the distribution of different proxies or anthropic markers from the site Lanashuaia-II, a shell-midden located on the northern coast of the Beagle Channel (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina). On the other hand, to introduce new elements of complexity into geostatistical analysis of the chemical data coming from floors samples, such as demarcations. Results are expected to be representative of different functional uses of space, allowing us to identify productive or consumption areas within the habitat and its surroundings. Ethno-archaeology is used as a methodological tool to give content to the concept of anthropic marker by means of formulating archaeological hypothesis based on ethnological information.