Pecked and polished materials from southern Patagonia: An experimental techno-functional approach

Abstract

The archaeological contexts of different periods from Southern Patagonia (Chile and Argentina) frequently include materials showing evidence of pecking and polishing techniques. Functional analysis of these materials is essential in order to identify traces of manufacture and use, and therefore to help us understand the techno-economic organization of these hunter–gatherer societies. This paper presents the results of an experimental program on manufacture and use wear traces on pecked and polished artefacts. This analysis allowed us to recognize natural, taphonomic, and technological traces and to build a methodological framework for the analysis of archaeological artifacts. These results are relevant for the analysis of the archaeological record, since they imply that it will be possible to recognize these traces on tools made by polishing techniques that have subsequently been used with other types of materials.