Geoarchaeology of the Cerro La China locality (Buenos Aires, Argentina): Site 2 and site 3

Abstract

Abstract Cerro La China, within the Tandilia Range, has a long archaeological record in which three different human occupations were identified. The geoarchaeological approach allowed us to correlate the archaeosedimentary columns at Site 2 and Site 3 and place the local stratigraphy in a regional context. The archaeologically rich stratigraphic sequence is composed of three episodes of loess deposition. The first bears a 10,600 yr B.P. Paleoindian occupation with Fishtail or Fell's Cave Stemmed points. It is followed by a soil‐forming interval which ended about 5000 yr B.P. with an erosive episode. The second event of loess deposition continued through an unknown span of time until a new soil‐forming interval started; it includes triangular stemless medium size projectile points corresponding to a different human group. By the sixteenth century another erosive event interrupted the soil‐forming interval. After this, the third short‐term eolian episode occurred and bears the most recent archaeological occupation marked by small triangular stemless points.