Unveiling Terra Incognita. An archaeological search for the first human occupations of Infieles and Pedernales salt flats (3000-4100 masl, 25°-26°S), Atacama Region, Chile

Abstract

The results of archaeological surface surveys carried out on Infieles (25°58'39'S-69°03'25''W) and Pedernales (26°13'59''S-69°07'16''W) salt flats, Atacama, Chile, located at an altitude from 3000 to 4100 masl are presented. Both surveys were carried out in areas that directly connect the Arid North with the Semiarid. The surveys are part of a project that investigates areas with potential human occupations during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition and are targeted at specific sectors such as river terraces, alluvial fans, wetlands, and salt flats. The variability of the archaeological record is discussed within the framework of the regional pre-Hispanic and historic sequence, and especially within the context of the first human occupations of the salt flats.