Spatial patterning and occupation dynamics during the Early Holocene in an archaeological site from the south coast of Tierra del Fuego: Binushmuka I

Abstract

We explore the implications of the spatial structure of the artifact assemblages at the Binushmuka I site,located in the north coast of the Beagle Channel (Tierra del Fuego). The information corresponding to the stratigraphy, chronology and composition of the archaeological assemblages of this site is described. We focus on the spatial distribution of artifacts, which mainly depend on the number and duration of the occupations and the size of the group, to evaluate the temporal structure of the assemblages. For assessing pattern mobility, we also consider the spatial consistency of the location of the site in relation to features of the paleogeography and the archaeological landscape.The confined size of the assemblages (~7-8 m2) are likely to represent occupations by small sized groups. The spatial consistency between early Holocene occupations and marine hunter-gatherer assemblages observed at a regional level suggests that groups with similar mobility and foraging strategies could have occupied the site.