Human Occupation in the Northern Argentine–Chilean Central Andes during the Early Holocene

Abstract

The area would begin to be explored (sensu Borrero 1994) 9000 RCYBP, after the last retreat of the ice, dated at 9300 BP in El Encierro valley (Zech et al. 2006). The earliest occupation of the site, as early as 8900 RCYBP, shows some temporal discontinuities and a relatively limited material record. This characterized the first human occupation of the area, and occurred during the early Holocene. Successive human occupations are correlated with periods of water availability in the mountains and aridity at lower altitudes on the western slopes (Veit 1996). Given the topography of the area on both sides of the Andean divide, the characteristics of the archaeological record, and paleoenvironmental data, it is proposed that this mountain region was exploited throughout the Holocene from the western slope (Chile).