First Peopling and Lithic Raw Material Use in Lacustrine Basins and Highlands of Central-Western Santa Cruz Province (Argentine Patagonia)

In the steppe and forest ecotone of central-western Santa Cruz province, Argentina, there are three lithic raw materials whose primary and secondary sources have been recognized. These are the obsidian, the siltstone, and a silicified green tuff. Moreover, the characteristics of their use during the late Holocene are well known. In this paper, we evaluate diagnostic and comparative information regarding their use during the early stages of hunter-gatherer settlement in this southern region. The analysis is based on debitage, tools, and cores recovered in contexts with early and middle Holocene chronologies from the low basins of Tar, San Martín, and Cardiel lakes as well as the highlands of the Guitarra plateau and Perito Moreno National Park. We also discuss the importance of these knappable materials in the human settlement processes and the initial learning of the landscape.