Los Tres Ombúes, un sitio arqueológico de cazadores-recolectores en Punta Piedras (partido de Punta Indio, provincia de Buenos Aires)

Abstract

Los Tres Ombúes es un sitio arqueológico ubicado en la localidad de Punta Piedras (sector oriental del partido de Punta Indio, provincia de Buenos Aires), el cual fue identificado mediante tareas de prospección efectuadas en febrero de 2016. Se encuentra en la llanura costera, a 350 m del Río de La Plata, sobre un cordón conchil-arenoso y en un entorno de bosque nativo. Se excavó un área de 4,5 m2 en la cual se recuperó material arqueológico, hasta una profundidad de 0,65 m. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar el sitio arqueológico Los Tres Ombúes, su ubicación espacio-temporal y los primeros resultados obtenidos a partir de distintos análisis preliminares orientados a su caracterización, con el fin de profundizar el conocimiento de los grupos cazadores-recolectores que habitaron la zona durante el Holoceno tardío. La caracterización, distribución y frecuencia de los materiales recuperados es coincidente con lo registrado en otros sitios del área, excepto por la escasa representatividad del registro ictioarqueológico. Se presenta una datación radiocarbónica de 1110 ± 19 años C14 AP obtenida a partir de un fragmento óseo de Blastocerus dichotomus. Los análisis efectuados permiten inferir que se trata de un sitio de actividades múltiples, de gran extensión (mayor a 1.300 m2) y de carácter unicomponente, vinculado con grupos cazadores-recolectores y relacionado con otros sitios del noreste bonaerense.

This article presents a new archaeological site called Los Tres Ombúes, which is located in the locality of Punta Piedras (Eastern sector of Punta Indio Municipality, Buenos Aires Province). It was discovered in an archaeological survey carried out in February 2016 near La Matilde brook and the Provincial Route N°11 (35°21´24”S, 57°10´39”W). This task was planned where archaeologist M. A. Caggiano found archaeological material in 1975, and following the landscape features. The site is located 350 m from the Rio de la Plata, on the coastal plain formed by the withdrawal of water after the Holocene marine ingression. It is on a shell-sand shelf, in a native forest environment known as talar. An area of 4.5 m2 -corresponding to two grids- was excavated, where archaeological material was recovered to a depth of 0.65 m. Also, other surveys confirmed the presence of archaeological material in a larger area of at least 1,300 m2. This paper presents the first results obtained in the analysis of the site and the recovered cultural materials: pottery, clay masses, archaeofaunistical remains, malacological remains, lithic materials, charcoals and a small quantity of glass and metal. Their distribution, frequency and characteristics of these materials coincide with those obtained in neighboring archaeological sites, except some peculiarities such as a sparse record of fish bones. It also presents a radiocarbon dating of 1110 ± 19 years C14 BP, made in a Blastocerus dichotomus bone fragment. The analysis carried out allows us to define Los Tres Ombúes as a multiple activities site, which is an extensive site -larger than 1,300 m2- and has a single component. It is linked with hunter-gatherers and with other sites of the northeast of Buenos Aires. This paper discusses its importance in the regional archaeological framework and presents the main lines of research which are being developed around these evidences and considering the site formation processes. With this research, we expect to generate new archaeological information of this area, in order to find out more about its human occupation process and its relations with other areas in the northeast of Buenos Aires during the Late Holocene.