NEW FUNERARY CONTEXTS IN THE EASTERN PAMPA-PATAGONIA TRANSITION (BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE, ARGENTINA). CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MIDDLE AND INITIAL LATE HOLOCENE
NUEVOS CONTEXTOS FUNERARIOS EN LA TRANSICIÓN PAMPEANO-PATAGÓNICA ORIENTAL (PCIA. DE BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA): APORTES AL HOLOCENO MEDIO Y TARDÍO INICIAL
Gustavo Martínez and Gustavo Flensborg
The purpose of this work is to characterize the bioarchaeological record and the contexts (stratigraphy and chronology) of recently recorded Middle and initial Late Holocene archaeological sites located in the eastern Pampa-Patagonia transition.
The aims are to evaluate and discuss the variations in mortuary practices and in the use of space (coast-inland) by huntergatherers during ca. 6,000-1,000 years BP. Quantitative, taphonomic, sex and age-at-death as well as burial modalities data
are presented. The obtained chronology indicates systematic reoccupation during the Middle and initial Late Holocene of coastal and inland sectors. While in inland sites human bone remains are highly fragmented and affected by important postdepositional factors (e.g., weathering, abrasion), in the coastal sector anatomical integrity is greater and taphonomy indicates stability in the depositional history. During the Middle Holocene, while burial modality at coastal sites would have been primary, it could not be determined in inland sectors. For the initial Late Holocene, while on the Atlantic coast primary burials were recorded, secondary modalities were detected in inland sectors. Finally, the results are integrated with the chronological information obtained on human skeletal remains and burial modalities defined for Southeastern Pampa and Northpatagonia in order to discuss the contribution of the case study presented here to the bioarchaeology of these regions.
