Geochronology and Landscape Development Along the Middle Río Quequén Grande at the Paso Otero Locality, Pampa Interserrana, Argentina

Abstract

The Paso Otero Locality is a cluster of archaeological sites within the middle Río Quequén Grande basin located in the northern coastal plain of Argentina.The valley fill is Holocene alluvial, eolian, and palustrine sediment, including the top of the Guerrero Member (ca.10,000 14C yr B.P.), upper Río Salado Member (ca. 3000 14C yr B.P.), and lower La Postrera Formation (ca. 2400 14Cyr B.P.). Regional soils include the Puesto Callejón Viejo (10,000 to 9400 14Cyr B.P.) and the Puesto Berrondo (ca. 4800 14C yr B.P.). Radiocarbon sampling of buried A-horizons on both sides of the river produced 17 dates considered reliable. The geoarchaeological information allows exploration of the implications for the formation of the archaeological record. Similar geological processes of differential intensity have resulted in contexts of different archaeological resolution and integrity. The Paso Otero Locality provides both a local and regional view of late Quaternary events and processes for the middle basin of the Rio Quequén Grande.