Distinctive Unifacial Technology during the Early Holocene in Southern South America (original) (raw)
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The early Holocene archaeological record in Northwest Santa Cruz province in southern Argentina is remarkable in its richness. Among the lithic remains, most notable is a stemless triangular projectile point dating to ~8.5-10 unca-librated kya. As part of a long term program directed to explore and understand diverse aspects of lithic technologies from Patagonia, this paper reports new observations on a set of notable unifacial tools existing in the assemblage accompanying them. Based on archaeological and experimental data we hypothesize they were produced from thick flake-blanks with one face totally or partially covered by flake scars sometimes reaching the longitudinal symmetry axis. This fact suggests that before being finished, it was reduced by detaching flakes from the edge to its center. This recent technological discovery allowed deepened on a new regional issue related with early Holocene unifacial tools that emerge as a peculiar style of covering unifacial flaking with subtle production differences to other similar implements. Together with the triangular points, this particular way of preforming the tool before and/or during the final shaping might be another distinctive manufacturing technique used by early Holocene hunter-gatherers in the area.
This paper aims to identify technological decisions involved in the production of retouched lithic artifacts recovered from three Late Holocene archaeological sites located in the northeast of the Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). More specifically, the main goal is to assess whether there is any relationship among raw material selection, retouching intensity, and the morphology of retouched artifacts. Through the analysis of several correlations between the knapping quality of the different raw materials employed and the index of invasiveness and curvature, it is inferred that raw materials were selected according to their homogeneous texture and convex shape in order to produce long retouched edges. As most of the retouched artifacts have been produced on unifacial blanks, using unipolar debitage techniques which does not require specific knapping skills, it is proposed that similarities found in the three archaeological sites can be explained as a result of oral transmission of basic technological knowledge.
2013
Lithic artifacts that belong to hunter-gatherer occupations from the Quebrada Seca 3 site during the Middle Holocene of the Southern Puna of Argentina, dating to ca. 4800e5900 cal BP are analyzed. These tools have been defined as stemmed projectile points whose blades were intensively maintained, resulting in asymmetric shapes. However, they have also been defined as knives because of their morphology when discarded. To establish a more complete version of the life history of these artifacts, from projectile points to knives, a research design was developed that includes several analytical microscopic and compositional techniques to identify the uses that were preserved over time. Information obtained through microwear analysis and the study of microscopic residues -microfossils and chemical residues e on the blades and stems indicates that these artifacts were used in several functions, with a first use as projectile points and a final use as knives in generalized plant and animal processing. The plant material processed includes roasted or dehydrated tuberous/roots. The tools were also used to cut animal skin, flesh and/or bone. Evidence for hafting to foreshafts or handles and for the use of adhesives was also found. The use-traces and life history results were mutually consistent. This contributed to the discussion of artifact life history and resource processing by the Middle Holocene hunter-gatherers of the South Central Andes.
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This paper presents an analysis that addresses the morphological variability of triangular unstemmed projectile points from archaeological contexts that belongs to Late Pleistocene or Early Holocene in the Puna of Argentina. The sites considerated here are Quebrada Seca 3 (Martinez 2007) in the Puna of Catamarca and Inca Cueva 4 (Aschero 1984, Martinez 1997) and Alero Caído 2 (Calisaya 2008) in the Puna of Jujuy and its eastern edge. Thus, morphological variations on tips, blade edges, bases and forms of junction between blades and bases, and dimensional variability, are explored. The methodological perspective consists in the application of criteria of macroscopic descriptive morphology (Aschero (1975, 1983). In this context, of major importance is the identification of basic, transformed and maintained designs (Aschero 1988, Martinez 2003) within the assemblage of projectile points studied, in order to identify the original design and to establish their changes due to maintenance and/or re-working (Hocsman 2009). On this basis, the early spread of this particular design of projectile point is discussed, and its implications in terms of movement-transmission of technique and typological information in the Puna area are stated.
A research program directed to deepening the knowledge and understanding of Paleo-American “fishtail” points is being carried out. In pursuit this goal, lithic remains from Cerro Largo department, northeastern Uruguay is examined. One of the samples comes from Paso Centurión, a surface site that has yielded the greatest number of fishtail points in Uruguay. There, and at the Paso Taborda site, several exemplars were reworked as scraping tools, constituting a peculiar case of stone tool recycling and reclaiming by post-Pleistocene hunter-gatherers. The examined collection shed new light on regional lithic assemblages, stone tool behavior and the early colonization of southeastern South America. Additionally, the study of other Uruguayan fishtails show the use of edge-to-edge and overshot flaking, technical features shared with Paleoindian fishtailed points from North and Central America. Similarities with other Paleoindian points from both hemispheres of the New World in relation to the SouthAmerican fishtail origins are discussed.
2013
Several lithic artefacts that belong to hunter-gatherer's occupations from Quebrada Seca 3 site during the Middle Holocene (Southern Puna of Argentina, between ca. 5000-4700 years BP), are analyzed (Southern Puna of Argentina, between ca. 5000-4700 years BP), are analyzed. These stone tools have been defined as stemmed projectile points whose blades were intensively maintained resulting in asymmetric shapes. Besides, it was proposed the use of these artefacts as knives because their morphology when the artefacts were discarded. Trying to establish a more complete version of the life history of these artefacts, from projectile points to knives, as it is suggested by the techno-typological analysis, we developed a research design that includes several analytical microscopic and compositional techniques to identify the uses that were preserved over time. Information obtained through microwear use traces analysis and the study of microscopic residues (microfossils and chemical residues) in blades and stems, indicates that these artefact were used in several functions. Tools were last used as knives in generalized tasks, for plant and animal processing. The plant material processed includes roasted or dehydrated tuberous/root plants for food. The processing of animal material (skin, flesh and/or bone) was also developed with the artifacts as knives. As projectile points were used for penetration of animal preys and then were recycled as knives. Besides, evidences for hafting (foreshafts or handles) and adhesives use, were found. The use and life history results obtained from analyses of microfossil and other residue, microwear use traces, chemical and techno-typological, were mutually consistent. This contributed to the discussion of artifact’s life history and resource processing by the Middle holocene hunter-gatherers of South Central Andes.