Lithic technology and consumption practices between hunter-gatherer societies from Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (South America)

Abstract

The aim of this presentation is to explore the consumption practices of hunter-gatherer societies from Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) through lithic technology analysis. Traditionally, lithic research has been focused on identifying production processes, techniques, raw material variability or variations in assemblage compositions. The study of consumption strategies embedded in raw materials exploitation, in labor inversion and in tool usage has not been deeply explored in Archaeology of hunter-gatherer societies; nevertheless, it has a central role to understand innovations, continuities and changes in human societies.Consequently, we propose to discuss these topics taking into account lithic assemblages produced by Tierra del Fuego societies. Tierra del Fuego located on the southernmost part of South America constitutes the highest latitude landmass in the Southern Hemisphere populated by hunter-gatherer groups during the Early Holocene who developed a long-lasting social organization without contact with cultivating and pastoral groups until the moment of arrival of industrial society (in XVII Century). The archaeological database of this area combined with the insularity conditions provide an ideal venue to explore the dynamic of consumption innovations to the extent that any change in their social trajectory can be assessed by internal development variables. The final goal is to assess the role of consumptions in social transformations.