Gallucci site: first archaeological finding of human bone remains in the upper valley of the Negro river, argentine Patagonia

Abstract

We present a bioarchaeological analysis of human skeletal remains from a site on the south bank of the upper Negro River valley, Argentine Patagonia. The record resulted from an occasional finding, and the remains were obtained through an archaeological rescue operation. A 3D model of the site was made using photogrammetric techniques. The site is located in the profile of a ravine, with evidence of recent collapses. It consists of a simple primary burial, possibly in a chenque, with associated cultural material. Only skeletal elements corresponding to the axial skeleton, one clavicle, two metacarpals and the fibulae remained in situ. Age and sex estimates suggest that it is a young adult female individual, and radiocarbon dating indicated an age of 594 ± 26 years BP. A series of anomalies were recorded in the vertebral column, one of which is of low frequency, identified as sagittal cleft. Taphonomic evaluation of the skeleton indicated low bone representation, abundant fractures, and a number of alterations of the cortical surface, which, together with the depositional analysis, allowed for the interpretation that this regular preservation would have resulted from the natural and partial exhumation of the remains and, consequently, their exposure to the biostratinomic processes and agents specific to this geo-environmental and depositional context of the site. In the upper Negro River valley, these are the first remains excavated by a scientific research team, which contrasts with what is expected for a region with high levels of current human occupation.