Abstract

MARIANO, Carolina I. Mortuary practices and the bioarchaeological record Of The San Matías Gulf Coast, Rio Negro, Argentina. Intersecciones antropol. [online]. 2011, vol.12, n.1, pp.17-25. ISSN 1850-373X.

The aim of this paper is to present the results of an analysis of mortuary practice variability on the Río Negro coast, Argentina, between ca. 3100 and 400 BP. During this period the area was inhabited by terrestrial hunter-gatherers who made use of the coast recurrently, exploiting its many resources. The analysis of the archaeological record of seven sites shows that throughout the temporal sequence primary burials are practiced, but around 1300 BP secundary burials are also in evidence. This represents a significant change in mortuary behavior, the explanation of which could be explained by several different hypotheses. It is argued in this paper that the development of new strategies of spatial use should be considered as a relevant possible cause. The principal contribution of this paper is an initial synthesis of information related to the mortuary practices and bioarchaeological record of the study area, about which there is little in the way of previous data.

Keywords : Patagonia; San Matías Gulf coast; Bioarchaeological record; Primary burials; Secundary burials.

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