Sample name: Miscanti-1

Reference: L. Nùñez, R. Loyola, I. Cartajena, P. López, B. Santander, A. Maldonado, P. de Souza, and C. Carrasco. 2018. Miscanti-1: Human occupation during the arid Mid-Holocene event in the high-altitude lakes of the Atacama Desert, South America. Quaternary Science Reviews 181:109-122 [ER 3414]

Lithology: ash

Taphonomic context: human accumulation

Archaeology: bone tools,hearths,stone tools

Habitat comments: "The sedimentary matrix corresponds mostly to volcanic ash (<0.2 mm) with abundant clasts (0.4–1 mm) representing about 30% of the sample... Layer II is a dark ash deposit down to a depth of 20 cm; charcoal associated with lithic artefacts, lithic debris and skeletal remains were recovered from this layer... The lithic assemblage (n = 304) includes 56 bifacial tools, three unifacial tools on flake and 245 flakes and debris fragments... three fragments of vicuña" suggest "intentional fracture of the bone to obtain marrow or for making artefacts" and "two bone artefacts" suggest retouching
24 fragments "showed evidence of exposure to thermal action" and "the bone assemblage is thought to be associated with a processing and discard area"

Life forms: rodents,ungulates,birds

Sampling methods: surface

Sample size: 42 specimens

Sampling comments: "On the surface, heavily eroded faunal remains, hearth residues and lithic artefacts were recorded in an area of 80 m2... The archaeological deposit reached a depth of 20 cm (levels 1 to 4) where the sterile base was found (without cultural material)"

Sample number: 3799

Contributor: John Alroy

Enterer: John Alroy

Created: 2021-06-10 21:20:49

Modified: 2021-06-10 11:20:49