About humans and rocks at the End of the Southern Cone: A Lithic Technology Overview at Piedra Museo Locality

Abstract

This paper summarizes the results obtained during the 1996–2001 period within a program of lithic analysis at the archaeological locality of Piedra Museo, AEP-1 site. The lithic materials recovered in two different Stratigraphical Units of AEP-1, SU 4/5 and SU 6, have allowed us to discuss some aspects of the organization of lithic technology during Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene at the Deseado Massif, northeastern Santa Cruz province, Southern Patagonia, Argentina. Particularly, a quantitative methodological approach is presented, in addition to its application to the case mentioned. We refer to the use of “generalized-standardized technologies” for lithic instruments and “the Minimum Nodules Analysis” for flakes and debris. We have also discussed and compared these results with others reported at contemporary archaeological sites from the Pampa and Patagonia regions.