Population Dynamics and Human Strategies in Northwestern Patagonia

NEME, GUSTAVO; ZÁRATE, MARCELO; POMPEI, MARÍA DE LA PAZ; FRANCHETTI, FERNANDO; GIL, ADOLFO; GIARDINA, MIGUEL; SEITZ, VIVIANA P.; SALGÁN, M. LAURA; ABBONA, CINTHIA; FERNÁNDEZ, FERNANDO

Documenta Praehistorica

Ljubljana University Press

Año: 2021 vol. 48 p. 6 - 25

1408-967X

In this paper we evaluate the role of human strategies in the Andean piedmont of northern Patagonia across the Holocene. Specifically, we present the analysis of the archaeological record of Salamanca cave, where we identified technological changes during the Late Holocene, as well as the implications of human-occupations hiatus at the Middle Holocene. We follow a multiproxy approach by the analysis of radiocarbon dates, archaeofanual remains, ceramic, lithics and XRF obsidian sourcing. We also discuss a detailed stratigraphic sequence by: geomorphological descriptions, the construction of a radiocarbon sequence model and summed probability distributions compared with other archaeological sites in the region. We conclude that after the Middle Holocene archaeological hiatus, human populations grow while guanaco populations dropped. The unbalance between demography and resources, boosted the incorporation of new technologies such as ceramics and the bow and arrow, allowing to exploit lower-ranked resources.