Abstract

RESTIFO, Federico; CARBONELLI, Juan Pablo  and  AGNOLIN, Agustín. Projectile points from Puna and valleys of north western Argentina in a comparative perspective: The cases of Pastos Grandes basin (Los Andes, Salta) and the Santa María Valley (Catamarca) as a contribution to the hunter gatherers archaeology. Andes [online]. 2019, vol.30, n.2, pp.00-00. ISSN 1668-8090.

A comparative analysis on lithics projectile points assemblages from two study areas of North Western Argentina is presented in this paper. One of the assemblages was recovered in Santa María Valley, Catamarca, and the other one in Pastos Grandes Basin, particularly Alero Cuevas site, puna of Salta Province. Applying a comparative methodology three similar morphological tipes were detected in both study areas, and anothers similar types between each one of the study areas and another places of the puna, on a regional scale. The results allows us to define a chronological frame for the first hunter gatherers occupations in the Santa María Valley. Those occupations would persist along the early Holocene, middle Holocene, and the beginins of the late Holocene. Moreover, a hypothesis on people movements on a regional spatial scale or information transmission is proposed, taking in to account the diferences and similarities within the identified projectile points types.

Keywords : Projectile points; Puna; Valleys; Hunter Gatherers; Comparative methodology.