Social Trajectories of Hunter-Gatherer Societies in Central Argentina: Exploration and Colonization of a Desert Landscape, La Pampa Province, Argentina

Abstract

Profuse archaeological evidence recovered in La Pampa province, Argentina; let us understand the trajectory of the hunter-gatherer groups in a semi-desert environment throughout the Holocene. The chronological distribution of radiocarbon dates indicates an early colonization of the southern end of this large territory (ca. 8600 years BP), a gap of information between ca. 6000 and 5000 years BP, and a re-colonization from ca. 5000 years BP onwards. The oldest settlements in the region offer shallow records in the Early and Middle Holocene, according to the archaeological record of 4 main loci: site 1 of Casa de Piedra locality in the Mid Colorado River Basin microregion, Tapera Moreira site 1 located in the Chadileuvú-Curacó Basin microregion, El Carmel located in the Valles Transversales microregion and Cerro de los Viejos located in Bajos sin Salida microregion. The human groups settled in spaces where resources were concentrated, but circulated in landscapes with varied topographies. This situation turns to be more complex in the Late Holocene, when a demographic growth is recorded. During this stage, climatic conditions stabilize, the exploitation of local resources is emphasized, formal burial structures appear, and increase the presence of extra-regional elements such as alloctonus rocks, mineral raw materials, pottery, ornaments and foreign people as a sign of large-scale interactions. In this stage the Mid Colorado River Basin microregion is repopulated, the occupation of the Chadileuvú-Curacó microregion continues and new microregions are occupied, such as Southern Pampean Hills, Bajos sin Salida and Valles Transversales microregions.