Geoarchaeological reconstruction of Caverna de Las Brujas (Mendoza, Argentina) for the archaeological intervention

Abstract

Archaeological prospection and excavation in the Caverna de las Brujas (southern part of the province of Mendoza, Argentina) has offered the first known data on human presence in this cave. This is of great interest for understanding the evolution of peopling in the southern Mendoza province during the Holocene. Four archaeological pits were excavated, two in the gallery known as the Sala de la Virgen and another two near the cave entrance. Three volcanic ash levels were dated by TL techniques (7780±600, 4700±500; 765 ±200 years) and a level with enough organic material was dated by 14C analysis (3695±65 years BP). The available data is sufficient to establish the origin and make a geomorphological reconstruction of the Holocene levels. At the same time, a hypothetical model is proposed that uses geomorphological criteria to predict the stratigraphy of the unexcavated lower levels at the cave entrance. The aim of thismodel is to help direct future archaeological excavations of the cave's oldest deposits.