Technological Organization in Hunting/Scavenging and Butchering Sites of Megamammals in the Pampa Grasslands (Argentina)

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to evaluate different modes of lithic acquisition, use, and disposal at three single-component open-air sites associated with the hunting/scavenging and butchering of megamammal species, and to discuss strategies applied in human mobility in the Pampa grasslands of Argentina during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. In the Paso Otero 5 and Campo Laborde assemblages, the last stages of the lithic-reduction sequence were associated with the context of tool use in a curated technological strategy. In La Moderna, the high frequency of quartz debitage, presence of expedient tools manufactured on-site, and close proximity to quartz outcrops are interpreted to represent a situational behavior produced in response to immediate and unanticipated conditions. During the late Pleistocene, at Paso Otero 5 humans exploited rocks from diverse regions, whereas at Campo Laborde and La Moderna hunter-gatherers displayed lower mobility during the early Holocene.