Metric Analysis of Lithic Points from the Central Argentine Andes (29?34°S) during the last three thousand years

CASTRO, SILVINA; YEBRA, LUCÍA; MARSH, ERIK J.; LUCERO, GUSTAVO

Buenos Aires

Simposio; 11th International Symposium on knappable Materials; 2017

We present a comparative study of lithic points (n=78) from high altitude sites (1800?3300 masl) in the Argentine Andes. The points are from the last three thousand years, when agriculture and pastoralism were added to existing strategies of hunting and gathering. This significant an lasting economic shift included the introduction of the bow and arrow, though little is know about when or how this happened. The bow and arrow can have profound effect on subsistence organization, but there are few studies on this in South America. The objective of this study is 1) to metrically discriminate between spear darts and bow arrows, 2) approximately date the introduction of the bow and arrow, and 3) evaluate whether bows replaced spears or if the two coexisted. We compare results of a series of formulas for distinguishing points based on measurements such as neck width, thickness, and weight as well as aerodynamic characteristics and physical properties of the raw material. The lithic points are from excavation and surface collection at the following sites: ARQ-18 (n=7), ARQ-14 (n=15), ARQ-5 (n=11), Agua de la Cueva (n=22), Laguna del Diamante (S2 and S4) (n=19), Uspallata Norte (n=3), and Tunduqueral Norte-1 (n=1).