Descripción macroscópica e identificación anatómica de un fragmento de instrumento de madera (¿arpón?) hallado en el Sitio Cueva del Negro (Costa Norte de Santa Cruz)

CAPPARELLI AYLEN; CASTRO ALICIA; CIAMPAGNA MARÍA LAURA

Ushuaia, Argentina

Jornada; VII Jornadas de Arqueología de Patagonia; 2008

CADIC, CONICET

The aims of this work are to identify the wood anatomy, describe the external morphology and discuss the context of the finding of an instrument interpreted as harpoon. It was found in stratigraphy in a cave site called ?Cueva del Negro?, located at the Oso Marino Bay, Santa Cruz province, Argentina. This finding was chronologically associated to Late Holocene. Wood anatomy was analyzed using Standard techniques. Although the artifact was partly charred and have both extremes fragmented, it can be deduced that it may have had short dimensions (main body 4.7 cm length x 2.5 cm width). It presents an elongated shape and one conspicuous and short tooth in the upper part. Wood corresponded to Berberis sp. (Fam. Berberidaceae), a hard wood species that could be present in the study area at the time of the cave human settlement. The harpoon is considered to have been part of a burial context. Hunting of fish resources it is thought as one possible function for this artifact.