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It develops the theoretical–methodological framework adopted for this study, the specific methodology used for the techno-functional analysis of stone materials in general, as well as the research strategies that led to the results sought. This research was structured according to two ways to address the study of the archaeology of the hunter-gatherer groups in the central strip of Tierra del Fuego. On one hand, and as the main axis, the study was addressed from a techno-functional point of view, with its base in the technological organization in general, and in lithic technology in particular, from the analysis of raw materials and potential sources of supply, operational chains and techno-morphological and functional studies of lithic material. On the other hand, in order to recognize large areas that had never been surveyed before, the research included studies using a distributional approach with the intention of achieving a general record of the density of archaeological material in the landscape.

Pampean hunter-gatherers marine fish capture strategies during the Middle Holocene are analyzed based on fish remains, lithic technology, paleoenvironmental reconstructions and fish ethology. Barrio Las Dunas site and El Americano II site archaeofaunistic record evidence of the exploitation of estuarine-dependent fish species: Pogonias cromis and Micropogonias furnieri. Lithic assemblages comprise scarce lithic weights corresponding to net weights and line weights that evidence the use of two fishing gears. It is concluded that the study sector was a hunter-gatherers preferential place for marine resource acquisition due to its palaeoenvironmental conditions.

We present the results of the the Kami 7 site. It is a large site with particular characteristics that make it comparable and at the same time different from Kami 1 and Kami 6, but which at the same time make it an important site to address the study proposed in this research. As mentioned in the presentation of the site, this is located in the central part of the Southern margin of Lake Fagnano, one kilometre away from Kami 1. The coastal sector, where the site is located, is characterized by presenting a small pebble beach that surrounds the elevation on which Kami 7 is situated. Up to the shore, the place is covered by forest. To the East, the site is flanked by a peat bog, and behind the elevation, the Palacios River passes, which flows into the lake. The site was approached from the total sectorization of the same one, with superficial collection of materials and excavation in two sectors. Consequently, the results of the techno-morphological analyses following these lines of work will be presented here. In the first place, we will deal with the results of the materials obtained by systematic excavation of the grids located in the Eastern sector of the site. Secondly, we will present the results of the materials coming from the excavation of a grid in the Western sector that was carried out on a small sector at risk. Finally, in third term, the analysis of the materials obtained from the intensive superficial collection of the whole site will be treated.

We present the results of the Kami 6 site. It is also located on the Southern margin of Lake Fagnano, to the East of the Kami 1 site. The characteristics of the site and of the works carried out were presented in Chap. 5. The lithic ensemble of the Kami 6 site comprises a total of 537 artefacts, which we can discriminate in those without retouching, such as flakes (n = 276), fragments (n = 168), scores and fragmented cores ( n = 19). Among the retouched artefacts, there are scrapers (n = 28), scratchers (n = 17), instrument fragments (n = 8) and finally retouched flakes (n = 1). The bipolar elements are presented as follows: flakes (n = 6), hemi-pebbles (n = 2) and a fragment. Finally, the subgroup of unmoulded artefacts smaller than 2 cm is very small and is represented only by eight small flakes.

The forest and the steppe of North-Central Patagonia (Argentina) are contiguous yet contrasting environments that have been connected throughout their peopling history. Human occupation began in the early Holocene, became more regular ca. 3500 years BP, and has increased since 2200–1700 years BP. Beyond this general picture, the nature of the relationship between forest and steppe over time is a matter of debate. To better our understanding of the human use of both environments, where assessed and investigated various hunting techniques employed over the last 3500 years, a central activity for hunter-gatherer societies. First, we modeled hunting techniques combining ecology, size, and behavior of prey, ethnographic, historical, and archaeological data, and the environmental settings (topography and vegetation). Then, we evaluated the models using weapon lithic technology and the zooarchaeological records recovered from archaeological sites located in both the forest (Cholila, Epuyen, and Manso) and the steppe (Piedra Parada area) and dated to the last 3500 years. The analysis showed that in both environments the ungulates of medium to large sizes were the main prey (huemul, Hippocamelus bisulcus, and guanaco, Lama guanicoe). They were captured near the sites, in hunting events involving few animals. In the forest, small huemul social groups were hunted by ‘encounter’ technique mainly with bows and arrows. This weapon system would have enabled more recurrent and/or longer stays in the forest. In the steppe, the ‘approach’ method was the most used technique to hunt guanacos and lesser rheas (choique, Pterocnemia pennata). These animals could be captured in high productive wetlands (mallines) using mainly throwing weapons, and handheld weapons to a lesser extent. Our results reinforce the idea that by the end of the peopling process of both environments, distinctive traits had developed beyond the existing networks of interaction.