HUMAN COLONIZATION OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO: PRE-TRANSGRESSIVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXTS ON THE NORTH COAST OF THE BEAGLE CHANNEL

We address some predictions derived from the biogeographic model proposed by Luis Borrero (1989-90) in order to analyze the earliest human occupations identified on the north coast of the Beagle Channel (8600-6500 cal. years BP). We examined the chronological, stratigraphic and archaeological information from the basal deposits of Imiwaia I, Binushmuka I and Tunel I to explore the formational processes and temporal structure of the archaeological contexts during the maximum extension of the Holocene marine transgression. Continuous human activity is inferred from 8600 cal. years BP on the southern coast of Tierra del Fuego. The structures of the earliest archaeological deposits indicate low-intensity and discrete occupations over time. The archaeological signal remains weak until the Holocene marine transgression reached its maximum level at approximately 7000 cal. years BP, when the formation of multicomponent archaeological deposits (shell middens) becomes visible in the region. Lastly, we discuss the implications of this information for the colonization of the Fuegian archipelago.