Raman spectroscopy study of ca 12.000 yrs cal BP lithic artifacts adhesions from archaeological sites in the Pampas region, Argentina

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the first studies of non-destructive chemical and physical spectroscopic methods (Raman) applied to lithic artifacts recovered from five archaeological sites in the Pleistocene/Holocene transition of the Pampas region (Argentina). The aim of this paper is to identify the adhesions/alterations recognized in lithic stone tools and to discuss the different agents and taphonomic processes (natural and cultural) that created them. The results show that different chemical compounds (e.g., manganese, carbonate, phosphate, mineral pigments, organic compound [resin], etc.), were adhered to the surface of lithic artifacts as a result of natural processes and past human behavior. Furthermore, results obtained allow an understanding of the taphonomic agents that acted in the formation processes of archaeological sites and to generate a frame of reference to act as a control for assessing the impact that the mineral chemical dissolution and the occasional past human activity in the regional archaeological record of the eastern Tandilia range system.