Fig 1
Source publication
We present obsidian compositional data obtained by X-ray fluorescence analysis in the Andean highlands (25-27°S/68-69°W) of northern Chile. Seventy-six samples (n = 76) from three lithic sources and six archaeological sites were analyzed, covering a chronological sequence from 10,100 to 500 cal BP. Compositional analyses indicate the exploitation o...
Citations
... Furthermore, to reach the start of the climb up the Cuesta Montandón from PE-2 and PE-3, the path necessarily passes by the path to PE-38 and PE-22. The Cerro Manchado obsidian source is more difficult to reach than the relatively nearby Ciénaga Redonda, due to its high altitude and the need to climb up toward Los Patos volcano (see Loyola et al., 2023). It therefore appears more probable, given the similarity between the sources, that Ciénaga Redonda is the optimum procurement point. ...
We discuss the process of human re-occupation of the Southern Puna (25°-27°S) during the Late Holocene through a variety of lines of evidence, such as ceramics, faunal bones, lithic technology, sources of raw materials like obsidian, and rock art, and their integration with spatial analyses using least-cost paths. Our results indicate a process in which niches were formed in the puna, focused on a variety of activities such as vicuña hunting; exploitation of lithic sources, minerals and pigments; camelid grazing; symbolic manifestations, and inter-Andean circulation. This suggests that human dynamics in the highlands of the Southern Puna towards the Late Holocene were motivated by a range of biotic and abiotic resources, and different modes of occupation, which tended to become diversified in the long term; nevertheless, they retained a common base in vicuña hunting and obsidian procurement, circulation and exchange.
... It is also possible to discuss potential technological uses. In the lithic assemblages of PE-38, large, stemmed points measuring 11-13 cm were recovered (Loyola et al., 2023). These points feature elongated triangular blades, barbs, convergent stems, and convex bases, suggesting their use as spear-throwers or thrusting spears due to their size and weight. ...
We present the results of an interdisciplinary study conducted at the Pedernales-5 site, situated in the Salar de Pedernales basin (26°S; 3356 masl), dated
from 10,510−10,749 to 11,201−11,612 cal. BP. Unlike other Late Pleistocene and Holocene sites in the Andean Puna, where vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna)
were the primary prey, at Pedernales-5, the zooarcheological assemblage consists almost exclusively of flamingo (Phoenicopteridae) and bird remains.
Through the analysis of lithic and bone artifacts, archeobotanical remains, pigment composition, and paleoenvironmental data, we propose that the
emphasis on flamingo exploitation cannot be solely explained by alimentary consumption but also served cultural and symbolic purposes related to the
acquisition of feathers, hides, and bones. The unique archeological context of Pedernales-5 offers a distinctive perspective on human dynamics in the
Andean highlands during the Early Holocene.
... Relationships between cultures and volcanoes can be found in different contexts. For example, in the use of volcanic materials for the production of moai in Rapa Nui (Gioncada et al., 2010), in the integration of volcanic features in mobility networks and social dynamics in the Andean highlands (Loyola et al., 2022(Loyola et al., , 2023, in the Atacameño or Likan Antai cosmovision of the world, where volcanoes are important agents that connect the world below with the world above (Ramos Chocobar and Tironi, 2022), and are related to meteorological phenomena and ritual centers (Moyano and Uribe, 2012). Several examples of this deep connection between ancient cultures and volcanic activity and volcanic landscapes can be found in different parts of the world (e.g., Holmberg, 2007;Donovan, 2019;Ulusoy et al., 2019;Reyes-Guzmán et al., 2023). ...
The conceptual distance between nature and society has been a concern within social sciences and interdisciplinary debates. We contribute to this discussion illustrating how arts have played an important role in demonstrating the entanglement of Earth and society through their ability to frame and shape the dynamics of the Earth across sensations. Through an examination of artistic representations in Chile, we seek to show how the proximity of Chilean society to the presence of volcanoes has been eloquently conveyed through various artistic styles across different historical epochs. Our study extends from the birth of the Chilean nation in 1818 to the year 2021, and examines a wide range of artistic representations, that encompass national symbols, image-making techniques, sculpture, art installations, poetry, music, and audiovisual works. Our research represents a pioneering effort to explore the diverse representations of volcanoes in Chile and has uncovered a remarkable diversity of artistic expressions that reflects the deep connection between Chilean society and volcanic processes and landscapes. Ever-present and often breathtaking, volcanoes have served as enduring symbols of national identity and as sources of inspiration for artists of diverse disciplines and aesthetic sensibilities. We illustrate how the arts reveal the relationship between volcanoes and social life and provide the basis for a detailed analysis that explores the temporal and spatial contexts in the representation of volcanoes and the human perception of geological phenomena in Chilean culture.
... Provenance of stone materials in archaeology is a fascinating research topic for the reconstruction of the economics and engineering skills of ancient societies, as it offers many insights regarding the distribution of quarries and their relationship with ancient cities, the exploitation patterns of natural resources, the trade routes of stone materials and the ways of selection of rock types according to their final utilization (Gutiérrez Garcia-Moreno 2009;Russell 2013;Bonetto et al. 2014;Previato 2016;Freire-Lista 2021;Finkel et al. 2022;Loyola et al. 2023). ...
This paper reports on the results of the analyses of 56 stone samples from Roman and pre-Roman artifacts from the ancient town of Atria, currently preserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Adria. The city is located in the eastern Veneto lowlands, close to the Po River delta, and far from the main rock outcrops of the region. The objective of this research is to determine the provenance of the stones used in ancient Atria and their trade networks. The analytical techniques adopted include polarized-light optical microscopy (PLM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and quantitative phase analysis by X-ray powder diffraction (QPA-XRPD). The results reveal a widespread use of imported stones from the central-western territories of Veneto, primarily comprising trachyte from the Euganean Hills and the soft limestone Vicenza Stone from the Berici Hills/eastern Lessini Mounts. Rosso Ammonitico, Maiolica (Biancone) and Scaglia Rossa limestones are also documented. From neighbouring regions, the imported stone types include Aurisina limestone from the Trieste Karst and Istrian Stone. Sandstone was uniquely recognized in G. Popillius’s milestone. Moreover, advanced geochemical and mineralogical analyses performed on the Euganean trachytes allow tracking accurately the quarry sites, revealing an extensive exploitation of the main historical quarries of M. Oliveto, Monselice and M. Merlo, although some provenances from outcrops less systematically exploited were also detected. Notably, the use of rhyolite for manufacturing a pre-Roman gravestone provides new insights regarding the exploitation of Euganean stone resources before the Roman era.
