Archeological Hunter-gatherer landscapes since the latest Pleistocene in Fuego-Patagonia

Abstract

This chapter deals with the available archeological knowledge, building a history of the peopling, the mobility of human groups and their relationship with the environment until the arrival of the Europeans. This chapter focuses on Patagonia—both east and west of the Andean ranges—and examines the archeological contexts and available radiocarbon dates for three chronological intervals: (1) the Pleistocene, (2) the Middle Holocene, and (3) the Late Holocene. Six main issues have been considered in the analysis of the peopling of Patagonia's landscapes: (1) the most important environmental conditions that could have affected human occupation during each interval; (2) the chronological gaps, visible through the analysis of radiocarbon data; (3) the generalist or specialist adaptations in the use of faunal resources; (4) the rock art; (5) the human burials; and (6) the allochthonous raw materials. Extreme environmental conditions during the latest Pleistocene would have been the scenario under which the first human groups entered the continent. But these harsh circumstances did not threaten them to begin the exploration and colonization of the new available lands.