Fire structures in the Buenos Aires coastline (Bahía San Blas, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina): A physicalechemical analysis interpretation

ALDAZABAL Y E. EUGENIO

QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 373 p. 26 - 33

1040-6182

Archaeological investigations carried out in the area of San Blas Bay revealed a great number of surfaceconcentrations of shells, lithic artifacts and in lesser amount, ceramic remains. These places have beenoccupied by hunteregatherers from the middle Holocene to recent times. In some cases, cultural materialsand combustion structures have been reported in stratigraphic position. In this paper, we presentthe analysis of a hearth in a cup shape structure located in a sand aeolian deposit, in the La Serranitaarchaeological site, dated from 5300 BP, compared with another hearth from Las Olas 5 site, dated from500 BP. The aim is to infer the activities that could be carried out in relation to the combustion structures,by physicalechemical analysis of sediments, and by identifying and quantifying the microremains. Anattempt is made to determine the intensity of use of the fire structures.