A STUDY OF OBSIDIAN SOURCE USAGE IN THE CENTRAL ANDES OF ARGENTINA AND CHILE

Five Andean obsidian sources with different geological and topographical properties have been recognized.

“This work has allowed recognizing five Andean sources with different geological and topographical properties (Dur an et al., 2004;Giesso et al., 2011).”

The macro-regional obsidian archaeological record is dominated by two large high-altitude sources: Las Cargas and Laguna del Maule.

“The macro-regional obsidian archaeological record is dominated by two large high-altitude sources: Las Cargas and Laguna del Maule (Seelenfreund et al., 1996;Dur an et al., 2004;Giesso et al., 2011;Cortegoso et al., 2014b).”

In the early stage, the northernmost area records only human use of Arroyo Paramillos obsidian on the western slope of the Andes along the Maipo River, plus a minimal presence in high-altitude sites in northern Mendoza during the mid-Holocene; the Laguna del Diamante chemical type is not recorded during this early interval.

“In this early stage, in the northernmost area we only record the human use of Arroyo Paramillos obsidian in the western slope of Andes along the Maipo River (Dur an et al., 2012;Cortegoso et al., 2012b), as well as a minimal presence in high altitude sites northern Mendoza during the mid-Holocene (Giesso et al., 2011).The Laguna del Diamante chemical type is not recorded during this early interval”

Other sources were used much more in terms of intensity and spatial scale of transport in both watersheds of the Andes; this is the case for Las Cargas compared to Laguna del Diamante and Laguna del Maule compared to Cerro Huenul.

“When information on the sources analyzed here is visualized in the context of the data for all the available sources in the macro- region (Dur an et al., 2004;De Francesco et al., 2006;Giesso et al., 2011;Dur an et al., 2012;Cortegoso et al., 2012a), it is evident that other sources were used much more in terms of intensity and spatial scale of transport in both watersheds of the Andes.This is the”

Currently available data allows suggesting that human societies from the deserts of southern Mendoza (La Payunia) favored a west-east vector of mobility, connecting with Laguna del Maule source, in detriment of movements towards the south and southeast, connecting with Cerro Huenul.

“Currently available data allows suggesting that human societies from the deserts of southern Mendoza (La Payunia) favored a west-east vector of mobility, connecting with Laguna del Maule source, in detriment of movements towards the south and southeast, connecting with Cerro Huenul (Giesso et al., 2011).”

The underrepresentation of Cerro Huenul can be explained in terms of dominant vectors of circulation with a west-east axis.

“As has been suggested before (Giesso et al., 2011;Cortegoso et al., 2012a), we consider this can also be explained in terms of dominant vectors of circulation with a westeeast axis.”