Middle Holocene foraging, mobility and landscape use in the southern Argentinean Puna: Hunter–gatherers from Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca, Argentina

This work addresses the issue of interactions between human populations and the environment in Argentina's southern Puna region during the middle Holocene, a time period when significant changes took place at the macro-regional scale. This issue is addressed through the analysis of various lines of evidence recovered from archaeological sites in Antofagasta de la Sierra, in the province of Catamarca, Argentina. The influence of environmental changes on organizational aspects of the human populations is evaluated, particularly in regard to mobility and foraging during the early-to-middle Holocene transition that took place around 8500 BP, with a focus on the middle Holocene time span from 8000 to 6000 BP. Emphasis is placed on interactions between hunter–gatherers and their prey, as well as the origins of particular non-local elements recorded in the Puna environments and their implications in terms of mobility and possible social mechanisms involved in the circulation of these objects.