Resumen

HAMMOND, Heidi. Methodological proposal for the study of malacological assemblages of shell middens: their application of the northern coast of Santa Cruz (Argentinian Patagonia). Zaranda ideas [online]. 2013, vol.9, n.2, pp.77-102. ISSN 1853-1296.

Along the north coast of Santa Cruz many shell middens were identified. These contexts have been interpreted as a result of the settlement of hunter-gatherer populations that inhabited this coastal sector and made use of available resources, mainly molluscs and pinnipeds. The shell middens represent a complex record, and their formation process combines different geomorphological, environmental and socio-cultural processes. In this work we present a study proposal of malacological assemblages recovered in archaeological contexts, which was applied to shell middens located on the southern sector of the ría Deseado. This analysis will be important for interpreting the structural and compositional features, and formational processes of shell middens. Increased knowledge about the variability of the coastal archaeological record will allow us to a better understanding of the ways in which hunter-gatherer populations occupied this area in the past and the activities that took place in these coastal areas.

Palabras clave : Arqueomalacological analysis; Taphonomy; Shell middens; Northern Coast of Santa Cruz.

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