Exploitation of allochthonous raw materials in hunter–gatherer contexts: Archaeological sites of Fagnano Lake, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

The exploitation of allochthonous raw materials has been registered in several archaeological sites of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. The best-known examples are those of green obsidian (considered to originate from a source in the southern Magellan strait) and industrial glass (which was adopted after the Europeans' arrival). A new case is the Miraflores silicified tuff, identified at Kami 1 archaeological site (Late Holocene), on the southern shore of Fagnano Lake, which comes from an outcrop located to the north of the island, more than 200 km away.Since the identification of this raw material in Kami 1, a techno-functional experimental program was carried out in order to characterize the properties of this Miraflores silicified tuff, particularly regarding manufacturing techniques, as well as behavior of edges during different utilization processes. Experimental tools made on samples from the Miraflores outcrop were used to work on various materials (wood, leather and bone) and analysed through low and high power microscopy.This article has three main purposes. The first is to present the results of the experimental study. The second is to discuss the techno-functional analysis of lithic archaeological artifacts on silicified tuff from Kami 1. The third is to evaluate the causes for selection of this raw material for the tool morphologies and uses identified in the site, as well as possible acquisition strategies implemented by hunter–gatherer societies of the central area of Tierra del Fuego.