Discussing Patterns and Processes in the Spatial Distribution of the surface Archaeological Record in the Middle Course of Salado Creek, San Antonio Department, Province of Rio Negro, Argentina

We report the results of distributional studies conducted in the area surrounding the so-called Pared & oacute;n de los Grabados-an extensive wall with petroglyphs- located near the foothills of the Sierra Paleim & aacute;n (province of Rio Negro) and 48 linear kilometers from the Atlantic coast, at the convergence of small seasonal watercourses, tributaries of the Salado creek. To explore the use of this interior space, a sampling grid of 1 km per side, divided into 100 m quadrants, was proposed as the basis for developing a total of 20 transects. The distributional analysis results, presented in GIS images, showed a high density of archaeological records concentrated mainly in gullies and ravines associated with fluvial erosion. These results suggest a differential use of the space, where the higher and rockier sectors, on the other hand, showed low densities and a more dispersed record and a greater intensity of use in lower areas, close to the Pared & oacute;n de los Grabados. A predominance of lithic artifacts, mainly scrapers, is noted. As for raw materials, a wide diversity was observed, including various types of non-local obsidian. There were also a few ceramic shards and marine malacological fragments, some of which were shaped, indicating mobility and contact between areas and the transport of a coastal resource. The results obtained suggest that the area was used redundantly over time, most likely during the late-recent Holocene, and was integrated into the coastal-interior circulation routes.