Technology from hunting blinds: a study of lithic assemblages in Late Holocene stone structures from Patagonia (Argentina)

FLORES CONI, J; CASSIODORO, G.

Congreso; 13th ISKM; 2021

IPHES

Stone structures called parapetos are a highlighted feature of the archaeological record in central-western Santa Cruz, Patagonia. They are located in basaltic plateaus, over 700 masl. These hunter-gatherer structures are believed to be mainly related to hunting activities though some sites have revealed a more general function (Cassiodoro 2011, Flores Coni 2019). The distribution and frequency of parapetos stand out in the region; more than 500 have been registered so far with varied sizes and shapes and clustered in different amounts. Radiocarbon dates reveal that they are a typical Late Holocene technology as chronologies for these sites start 2000 years BP, when a regional humidity drop has been registered, till Hispanic contact times (Flores Coni et al. 2021). The goal of this presentation is to discuss the characteristics of lithic materials recovered in these particular sites with a specific spatial and temporal distribution in Patagonia. We seek to evaluate the existence of variability in lithic artefacts related to stone structures recovered in two different areas: Pampa del Asador- Guitarra Lake plateau and the Strobel plateau. This will enable the study of the strategies hunter-gatherers implemented in the use of these areas in a context of environmental change. Moreover, describing manufacture and use of lithic artifacts related to these sites will allow a better understanding of the specific use these structures had.Diverse types of hunting blind sites have been included: isolated structures and grouped ones located in different topographic and ecological contexts. Materials were recovered from inner and outer surfaces of structures as well as from stratigraphic contexts and thus, allow to assess variability over time. The sample includes tools, debitage and cores with a total of more than 10000 lithic artefacts. The evidence discussed summarizes more than 20 years of on-going investigations in the region. It provides exceptional information based on systematic analysis of a significant sample of lithic artefacts in hunting blinds.Results show that there is variability between the compared areas, mainly in raw material use and the characteristics of artifacts discard.