New contributions to the characterization of the regional lithic resource base in Entre Ríos Province: Regional survey of lithic outcrops and microscopic characterization of siliciclastic rocks

Abstract

In this paper, we present the results of fieldwork and laboratory studies developed on a wide range of rock types found in the southern sector of northeastern Argentina. These rocks could feasibly be employed as lithic raw material. The main aim of this study was to develop a useful reference framework for the interpretation of lithic assemblages recovered from the study area. We present a synthesis of the archaeological and geological data available, combined with new research generated through extensive surveys and micro and macro-scale petrographic analysis. As a result, we were able to specify the location and spatial accessibility of several lithic outcrops, and to identify the morphology, structure and mineral composition of a large number of lithic raw material sources. Finally, we characterized one of the most frequently found raw materials in the extant archaeological literature: sandstone. We carried out thin-section analyses in order to establish its provenance, as well as to assess the transformations these rocks suffered due to thermal alteration.