Persistencia ritual entre cazadores-recolectores de la llanura pampeana

GUSTAVO POLITIS; PABLO MESSINEO; CRISTIAN KAUFMANN; MARÍA BARROS; MARIA C. ÁLVAREZ; VIOLETA DI PRADO; ROCÍO SCALISE

Boletín de Arqueología PUCP

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Area de Arqueología del Departamento de Humanidades

Lugar: San Miguel; Año: 2005 vol. 9 p. 67 - 90

1029-2004

In this paper, several lines of evidence (geology, paleoenvironment, lithic and faunal analysis, etc.) from the Calera site (Sierras Bayas, pampean region, Argentina) are summarized and discussed. The cultural deposit seems to be a ritual site, formed by the occurrence of several ceremonies during the late Holocene. In the Calera site, four cubetas (pits) were intentionally excavated, between ca. 3400 and 1750 years BP, and filled with a great amount and variety of archaeological materials as well as alochtonous sediments. Among the recovered materials, there were more than 6000 of lithic artefacts, 310 pottery sherds (some of them with antropomorphous motifs), 1760 pieces of mineral pigments, four marine molluscs, a shell bead, a granite axe, several instrument made of bone and deer antler, and a phallic statuette. A yet undetermined number (several thousands) of faunal remains from 16 different mammal species (guanaco, pampean deer, carnivores, mesomammals, micromammals, etc.), six avian species, three fishes and probably reptiles. The exceptional features of the site allow the approach of social and ideational aspects of the pampean hunter-gatherers and let the discussion of the archaeological signature of the site of encounter among non-hierarchical societies.