Las ocupaciones humanas en la localidad Arqueológica Laguna de Los Pampas (Campo De Dunas Del Centro Pampeano, Argentina) Durante El Holoceno

Abstract

This article discusses the relevance of the archaeological locality Laguna de los Pampas for the study of the human occupation of the Central Pampean Dunefields (Humid Pampas subregion) during the Holocene. One important find is the case of three semiburied, complete Greater rhea eggs with a small perforation in the minor pole, which could indicate their use as water containers. While previous research suggested that the shallow lake was occupied during the entire Holocene, the radiocarbon dates of bone specimens from the excavated site are dated to the Middle Holocene (between ca. 7000-5800 years BP). Zooarchaeological analyses for this period indicated a diet based on guanaco, and complemented with other taxa such as Greater rhea, Pampas deer, and other small-sized species. The study of bone technology in the locality shows that it was highly standardized on guanaco bones. Lithic analyses showed that most of the rocks come from the Tandilia hills and the western Pampas (250-400 km away). We conclude that similarities in production strategies and use-wear with other archaeological sites of the Humid Pampas subregion suggest the same technological conception on a regional scale during the Middle Holocene and interaction with hunter-gatherer groups from diverse zones of the Pampas grasslands.