Análisis preliminar de los entierros humanos del sitio Paso Alsina 1 (Partido de Patagones, Provincia de Buenos Aires) Preliminary analysis of the human burials recovered from the paso alsina 1 site (patagones district, buenos aires province)

• Main Authors: Gustavo Martínez, Pablo Bayala, Gustavo Flensborg, Roberto López
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2006-12-01
• Series: Intersecciones en Antropología
• Subjects: Entierros secundarios; Holoceno tardío final; Cazadores-recolectores; Secondary burials; Final Late Holocene; Hunter-gatherers
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1850-373X2006000100008

Se presentan las características principales del sitio Paso Alsina 1 (Partido de Patagones, Provincia de Buenos Aires), localizado en la margen sur del curso inferior del río Colorado. Se trata de un área de inhumación compuesta por al menos 10 entierros secundarios datados entre ca. 500-450 años radiocarbónicos AP. Sobre la base de las similitudes en la presencia y disposición de algunas unidades anatómicas se definen y discuten las características básicas de la estructura funeraria, sus dimensiones, la ubicación espacial y orientación de los entierros y la variabilidad interna existente entre los fardos funerarios y/o entierros. La información derivada de estos análisis indica que el sitio se trataría de un área exclusiva de inhumaciones representada por una estructura funeraria compuesta por un número mínimo de 55 individuos. La mayoría de las unidades anatómicas se encuentran pintadas de rojo y se detectaron huellas de corte posiblemente ligadas al desmembramiento de partes esqueletarias. Finalmente se comparan los resultados obtenidos con la información disponible sobre entierros secundarios para el área de estudio y para áreas aledañas provenientes de la región pampeana y sector costero de norpatagonia.<br>Paso Alsina 1 site (Patagones District, Buenos Aires Province) is found in the lower valley of the Colorado River, an ecotonal area located between the Pampean and Northern Patagonian regions. The site is a small funerary structure (6 m²) composed of at least 10 secondary burials chronologically located at the very end of the late Holocene (500-450 years BP). This paper focuses on the basic aspects related to a) the form, size and structure of the funerary area and, b) the composition of the secondary burials in terms of presence and disposition of diagnostic anatomical units. The secondary burials follow a spatial arrangement produced by an intentional mortuary practice revealed by a patterned orientation and a contiguous and/or overlapped arrangement. The internal composition of the burials shows a repetitive pattern in the presence, location, and association of specific bone specimens that reveals a basic structure in the formation of the secondary burials. This spatial arrangement, both of burial composition and of the area where they lie, as well as the radiocarbon data obtained, suggests that the funerary structure was formed in a single event. At present, a minimum of 55 individuals have been recognized. The majority of the anatomical units are painted red. The presence of cut marks indicates body processing activities before the formation of the secondary burials. Finally, the information obtained from the site will be compared with the bioarchaeological record of other sites that present the secondary burial modality at both local and regional scales (Pampean and eastern Northern Patagonia regions).