HUMAN OCCUPATION IN THE NORTH OF THE ARGENTINE-CHILEAN CENTRAL ANDES DURING THE EARLY HOLOCENE (SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA)

CORTEGOSO, VALERIA ; DURÁN, VÍCTOR; CASTRO, SILVINA; GASCO, ALEJANDRA; LUCERO, GUSTAVO; WINOCUR, DIEGO

Current Research in the Pleistocene

Texas University

Lugar: Texas; Año: 2012 p. 83 - 86

8755-898X

The study area, located in the northwest part of the San Juan Province, Argentina, extends from the western slopes of the Andes (4,500 masl) to the valleys immediately to the east (3,700 masl). The area would begin to be explored (sensu Borrero 1994) 9000 RCYBP, after the last retreat of the ice, dated at 9300 CALYBP in El Encierro valley (Zech et al. 2006). The earliest occupation, as early as 8900 RCYBP, shows some temporal discontinuities and a relatively limited material record. This characterized the first human occupation of the area, and occurred during the early Holocene. Successive human occupations are correlated with periods of water availability in the mountains and aridity at lower altitudes on the western slopes (Veit 1996). Given the topography of the area on both sides of the Andean divide, the characteristics of the archaeological record, and paleoenvironmental data, it is proposed that this mountain region was exploited throughout the Holocene from the western slope (Chile).