Lithic technology, raw material availability and hunter-gatherers mobility: a case study from southern patagonia.

K. BORRAZZO Y J. CHARLIN

Congreso; 54 Congreso Internacional de Americanistas; 2012

The archaeological studies of lithic technology are an important line of evidence to assess hunter-gatherers mobility in Southern Patagonia. Previous research pointed that technological differences existed within the region comprised between Santa Cruz River and Magellan Strait. Among them, blade technology has a heterogeneous spatial distribution,including big areas where it is absent. The distribution of lithic raw materials used for artifacts shows a similar pattern. Here we assess if the availability of nodule with the appropriate size influenced the differential representation of this technology within the region. The results of our study are discussed integrating the distribution of other archaeological evidences, as maritime items, stable isotopes on human bone data, obsidians and rock art, all of which already presented variations in wide spatial scale. Human mobility and home ranges of past populations is addressed.