Abstract

LABARCA ENCINA, Rafael  and  GALARCE CORNEJOS, Patricio. Use of faunal resources and lithic raw materials during the late Holocene in the cordillera of central Chile: an integrative approach from Caletón los Queltehues. Intersecciones antropol. [online]. 2012, vol.13, n.1, pp.09-25. ISSN 1850-373X.

This article evaluates long-term trends in change and continuity of lithic and faunal use strategies in hunter-gatherer contexts in the central Chilean cordillera from technological and behavioral perspectives. The main objective of the analysis is to articulate both lines of evidence from a behavioral and technological perspective in order to infer unknown elements of the function and organization of activities in this kind of archaeological context. As an initial example, the Archaic IV and Early Ceramic (5000-1000 BP) components from a classic site located in the upper valley of the Maipo river, Caletón Los Queltehues, were analyzed in detail. The results do not show significant variation between the periods in exploited taxa, skeletal part frequencies, cultural modifications, or fragmentation of bone remains. Likewise, lithic raw materials employed, morpho-functional categories, and types of debris remained relatively constant. In terms of changes, there were differences in deposition rate, frequency of natural modification, and diversity of use/discard activities of lithic remains, interpreted as different intensities and re-occupation of the site rather than changes in its functionality.

Keywords : Hunter-gatherers; Central Chile; Late Holocene; Zooarchaeology; Lithic tecnology.

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