CERAMIC FINDINGS AND THEIR CHRONOLOGY IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE SOUTHERN DESEADO MASSIF AND THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER BASIN (SOUTHERN PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA)

Abstract

 The purpose of this paper is to provide information about six sherds recovered from the area between the Southern Deseado Massif and the Santa Cruz River Basin. Very few sherds have been recovered from this region previously, and so these findings make a significant contribution to what is known about ceramic technologies used by hunter-gatherers at these latitudes, in an area located between the Andean range and the Atlantic coast. This paper provides macroscopic and microscopic data of the six sherds, which show considerable variability. It also reports isotopic values (δ13C and δ15N) and direct AMS radiocarbon ages for organic residues adhering to the flat faces of two sherds. The results are consistent with those from earlier studies indicating the use of ceramic technology by highly mobile indigenous groups in Southern Patagonia for steppe resources. Variations in sherd composition suggest that the original ceramic containers were probably acquired and transported into the region from other spaces.