Technological change during final Mid-Holocene and early Late Holocene (ca. 5000-2000 years BP) in Barrancas (Jujuy province, Argentina)

Patricio Kohan,Rodolphe Hoguin

doi:10.2218/jls.2801

Abstract

The archaeological evidence from the end of the Middle Holocene and the beginning of the Late Holocene (ca. 5000-2000 years BP) shows a period of great changes. These appear to be the main result of low residential mobility occupations and subsistence strategies based in the specialized hunting of camelids, their domestication and further herding. Even though there is no consensus over the relative importance of each adopted strategy (hunting vs. herding) during this temporal sequence, several and relevant changes can be observed, related to many social spheres. In this paper, we present the particular changes over lithic technology during the temporal sequence proposed through two sites analysed from Barrancas: Laguna Media 7 and Morro Blanco. First, we will clarify the concept of technical system and describe the operative chains observed in both sites. This context is suitable for the topic addressed in this paper, since the chronological difference between both sites (ca. 3400-3200 years BP) is almost contemporary with the appearance in the region of the domesticated camelid Lama glama. Thus, we explain the changes in lithic technology and their relation with the other raw materials used in different technologies from a qualitative characterization. Afterwards this change is characterized by performing separate Chi square analysis from the quantification between both sites of: transformative and prehensile techno-units, shaping and knapping methods. We detect some continuities related to the operative chains, but some changes as well, with the disappearance of blade knapping. Finally, we conclude that the changes during this time period are mainly related with the prehensile and hafting system, associated to a broader regional technological change, influenced by the circulation and exchange of goods, knowledge and people.

Highlights

In Andean archaeology, the period between the end of the Mid-Holocene and the beginning of the Late-Holocene
The current paper presents the results of the lithic technology from two sites located in Barrancas (Province of Jujuy, Argentina): Laguna Media 7 and Morro Blanco (Figure 1), showing the processes occurred during the transition between the Middle and Late Holocene
The techno-functional units (TFU) of the tools were identified (Boëda 2013). These were divided into two large classes: transformative (TFUt) and prehensile (TFUp)

Summary

Introduction

In Andean archaeology, the period between the end of the Mid-Holocene and the beginning of the Late-Holocene Sites such as Caral or Tiahuanaco are two great examples to take into account, as they represent the beginning of the Andean civilizations (in terms of landscape urbanization) and the relevance of these changes. The Argentine Puna, was not an exception to these processes involving, among others, the sedentarization of human groups and the handling of domestic species -this representing one of the key aspects in the changes from the hunting-gathering strategies towards agro-pastoral ones- being contemporary or even older than in the northern part of this region (Yacobaccio 2001)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion