Human occupation of the Central Andes of Argentina (32°-34°S) during the mid-Holocene

A great part of the mid-Holocene in South America was characterized by the occurrence of environmental conditions drier and warmer than those of early-Holocene. In some regions this change seems to have caused an interruption of the human occupation. The available archaeological record of central-northern Mendoza is examined in order to identify the main technological changes, to contribute to the discussion of the topic, and to evaluate the relationship between the human occupations and the environmental changes. This revision suggests the continuity of human occupation in the area during the mid-Holocene. It is also suggested that the difference of distribution of the archaeological record between the piedmont/mountain regions and the plain would be related to problems of visibility and lack of systematic surveys rather than to an absence of occupation by human groups.