New contributions to archaeology of Formosa (Argentina): Chronology of ̈El Quebracho ̈ archaeological site

Abstract

The South American Gran Chaco has been unknown in archaeological terms since the beginning of the scientific researches. At the same time, and paradoxically, to this region have been focused many of the explanations of the neighboring archaeological records even without concrete empirical evidence. This situation that has been reversed in the last years at the argentinian Gran Chaco by the increment of systematic studies also requires the communication of particular findings, especially when they are very new to the archaeological regional knowledge and even neighboring areas. Thus the El Quebracho (SForRli 1-1) archaeological site located at the homonym town of the province of Formosa Argentina is presented as the earliest formal burial space at the Chaco region. Successive systematic excavations have revealed human burials dated between 2220+110 and 1700+40 years BP. The analyzed set consists of 14 individuals accompanied differentially with snail beads and T shaped stone axes. The characteristics of this unique finding and its absolute chronology allow introducing new and interesting information to the body of knowledge about the Argentinian Gran Chaco. In turn, contributes to the construction process of the space-time framework of the chacoan human occupations at ancient times.