Obsidian on the Island: First Geochemical Characterization for Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park (Patagonia, Argentina)

Abstract

We present the first geochemical data of archaeological obsidian for Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park in Patagonia. XRF analyses were performed on 15 samples of obsidian-like rocks from the Puerto Tranquilo 1 site. Only five of the artifacts—all of which come from upper levels of the site—correspond to obsidian as a raw material. The provenance analysis indicates the use of obsidian sources located in the Andean Forest area of southern Neuquen Province. Based on these preliminary results, we propose a north–south circulation axis for this raw material. These geographic results are discussed in relation to the information available regionally.