Abstract

MARTINEZ, Gustavo; BAYALA, Pablo; FLENSBORG, Gustavo  and  LOPEZ, Roberto. Preliminary analysis of the human burials recovered from the paso alsina 1 site (patagones district, buenos aires province). Intersecciones antropol. [online]. 2006, n.7, pp.95-108. ISSN 1850-373X.

Paso Alsina 1 site (Patagones District, Buenos Aires Province) is found in the lower valley of the Colorado River, an ecotonal area located between the Pampean and Northern Patagonian regions. The site is a small funerary structure (6 m²) composed of at least 10 secondary burials chronologically located at the very end of the late Holocene (500-450 years BP). This paper focuses on the basic aspects related to a) the form, size and structure of the funerary area and, b) the composition of the secondary burials in terms of presence and disposition of diagnostic anatomical units. The secondary burials follow a spatial arrangement produced by an intentional mortuary practice revealed by a patterned orientation and a contiguous and/or overlapped arrangement. The internal composition of the burials shows a repetitive pattern in the presence, location, and association of specific bone specimens that reveals a basic structure in the formation of the secondary burials. This spatial arrangement, both of burial composition and of the area where they lie, as well as the radiocarbon data obtained, suggests that the funerary structure was formed in a single event. At present, a minimum of 55 individuals have been recognized. The majority of the anatomical units are painted red. The presence of cut marks indicates body processing activities before the formation of the secondary burials. Finally, the information obtained from the site will be compared with the bioarchaeological record of other sites that present the secondary burial modality at both local and regional scales (Pampean and eastern Northern Patagonia regions).

Keywords : Secondary burials; Final Late Holocene; Hunter-gatherers.

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