Tecnología lítica durante los últimos 400 años AP en Patagonia Centro Sur: El caso de los sitios Bajo de la Laguna 2 y Cerro Bayo 2 (Santa Cruz, Argentina).
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of the lithic assemblages from the Bajo de la Laguna 2 and Cerro Bayo 2 sites in south-central Patagonia, Argentina. The occupation depicted by Bajo de la Laguna 2 is confined to the final 400 years BP, whereas Cerro Bayo 2 encompasses a more extensive chronology that extends to that period. The objective is to characterise the technological strategies of hunter-gatherer groups during the process of contact with Creole and European populations, evaluating continuity or change in the use of raw materials and site functionalities. The results indicate a marked preference for high-quality local rocks (obsidian and siliceous rocks) for the manufacture of projectile points and scrapers, along with the absence of industrial glass artefacts. This pattern contrasts with what has been documented in other areas of the province and with part of the ethnohistoric record. It is suggested that this absence does not reflect abandonment of the area, but rather a technological choice related to the availability of lithic raw materials and differential access to industrial resources. Overall, both sites demonstrate technological continuity in the post-contact use of traditional lithic equipment, reflecting the agency of indigenous societies in their selective adoption of new elements.
Language: English
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7202290075