INVESTIGACIONES ARQUEOLÓGICAS Y BIOARQUEOLÓGICAS EN EL SITIO AQUIHUECO (NORPATAGONIA): NUEVOS RESULTADOS

CLAUDIA DELLA NEGRA; PAULA NOVELLINO; S.IVAN PEREZ; ADAN HAJDUK; VALERIA BERNAL

Ushuaia

Jornada; Jornadas de Arqueologia de la Patagonia; 2008

The goal of the this study is to present new findings from Aquihuecó site (Chos Malal department, province of Neuquen, 3650 ± 70 years BP) and integrate them with those obtained previously in order to discuss the information about the characteristics of the sample, considering the age and sex composition, radiocarbon dates, type of burial, associated artifacts and cultural practices (e.g. artificial cranial deformation). The burials are primary and secondary and are characterized by the presence of red ocher, both on skeletal remains and groundstones, and shell beads, lithic artifacts, and the existence of a direct association between groundstones and adult female individuals. The results indicate the presence of a minimum number of 56 individuals (30 adults and 26 subaduts). Artificial cranial deformation of seudocircular type was exhibited by two adults. The development of future researches aimed to study aspects linked to the mortuary practices, health-disease, diet and microevolutionary processes at regional level will contribute to the characterization of patterns of biological and cultural variation observed in Northwest Patagonia.