Geoarchaeological research on lithic raw material sources in the Argentine Andes: geologic formation, accessibility costs and lithic production systems

Castro S.; Yebra L.; Cortegoso V.; Lucero G.; Durán V.; Marsh E.; Winocur D. · Revista del Museo de Antropologia (2020) · DOI: 10.31048/1852.4826.v13.n1.24008

Resumen

This article presents a synthesis of geoarchaeological studies of lithic raw material sources and quarries from three high-altitude areas in Mendoza and San Juan (29–34°S). These studies sought to identify the origin of the geological outcrops, their availability to humans as lithic resource, means of provisioning, and variable production systems. The studies rely on interdisciplinary feld surveys and incorporate a variety of methods such as petrography, geochemistry, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In the San Juan province (29°S), ten primary and secondary lithic sources were differentially exploited for around 8500 years. In the northwest of Mendoza province (32°S), Darwin’s petrifed forest and the Los Colorados formation were used as quarries. In the center of Mendoza province (34°S), two local obsidian geochemical signatures were identifed. We emphasize the potential of this kind of studies to evaluate continuities and changes in human mobility strategies in high-altitude areas in central western Argentina.