Initial human exploration and colonization of the southern Deseado Massif and the nearby area. Some insights into the role of raw material and cave variability.

FRANCO, NORA VIVIANA; AMBRÚSTOLO, PABLO

Florianópolis

Congreso; XVI World Congress UISPP; 2011

Union Internacional de Ciencias Prehistóricas y Protohistóricas

The Deseado Massif is an area with abundant rocks of excellent or very good flintknapping qualities as well as the presence of rockshelters and caves. Variability in raw material availability across the southern end of the Massif has begun to be recorded. South of the Massif, raw materials of excellent or very good quality are less frequent. These differences were probably taken into account by humans and they probably influenced the rate of human incorporation of different spaces. In this paper, archaeological evidence of early human exploration and utilization of different environments in the southern Deseado Massif are presented, as well as preliminary information of spaces located south of it, closer to the Santa Cruz river. Initial exploration of the southern end of the Deseado Massif was probably taking place by ca. 10,845 years B.P, however the evidence of human presence in this area is more abundant at ca. 8,000 years B.P. The exploration of areas located to the south of the Massif would probably have taken place at a slower rate, due to differences between the original and the new environment.