LITHIC RAW MATERIAL AT THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER MOUTH. FIRST SURVEYS

The knowledge about rocks availability in areas of archaeological investigations is fundamental in order to approach the lithic technology studies and human behaviors associated to its production. The aim of this paper is to characterize the structure of the basis of lithic resources of the area and to contrast previous observations. Here we present the first results of the prospections carried out in an inactive littoral cordon at the archaeological locality of Punta Entrada (Santa Cruz river mouth, Santa Cruz). Also petrographic analysis of samples recovered there are exposed. Patagonian Shingle Formation is the only one with outcrops in the area. This Formation would have functioned as a secondary source of a wide variety of lithologies of different qualities, which are presented in different sizes and morphologies thus offering a wide range of possibilities to the knappers.