Practices, Places, and Roads in the Peopling Process of South American Settlement

Abstract

The colonization of the Americas was a complex, multilineal process that transformed unknownspaces into signified landscapes. This study highlights Fishtail points (FTPs) as indicators ofenvironmental and social learning. A georeferenced database of 173 FTP sites reveals theirwidespread distribution and chronology from 13,200–11,000 cal yr BP. Using GIS, we analyze thespatial density of FTPs and model a network to illustrate possible circulation paths for objects,information, and people. The technology behind FTPs is more standardized and extensive thanthat of earlier artifacts, suggesting a cultural revitalization that fostered large social networks.The distribution of FTPs and their network serve as proxies for a cultural phenomenon thatoccurred after the earliest colonization events. Significant nodes within these networks includekey sites such as Amigo Oeste, Piedra Museo, Los Toldos in Patagonia, and Cerro El Sombrero inthe Pampas, offering insights into early South American social dynamics.