The landscape among hunter-gatherers is a complex issue for the archaeological study. Thus, in this paper we introduce the idea of archaeological place as a key concept to address the problem. The characterization of places results from the integration of different lines of evidence including objects, spaces and bodies. The aim of this paper is to discuss human occupations that occurred during the Holocene around the lagoons in Buenos Aires province, south of the Salado River (Argentina), with special emphasis on those evidences described for El Guanaco locality. Based on the discussion of different examples it is proposed that lagoon environments have been visited and inhabited throughout the Holocene. The choice of these spaces concerned, for example, planning the acquisition and the carrying of lithic raw materials, a low utilization of lake resources and, in some cases, the development of specific mortuary practices.
Because of their vital and symbolic importance, water sources are must-visit points along hunter-gatherers pathways. The quiet waters of lagoons may be related to moments of pause, and this pause refers to places. Therefore, lagoons surroundings represent places in the life of hunter-gatherers groups, who, as part of their paths, returned again and again to the shores.
Keywords:
Pampean Region, Lagoons, Hunter Gatherers, Landscape, Place
Mazzia, N. (2013). Dwelling Next to Lagoons: Places of Hunter-Gatherers in the Buenos Aires Pampas (Argentina). Revista Chilena De Antropología, (28). Retrieved from https://revistachilenahumanidades.uchile.cl/index.php/RCA/article/view/30618
