Site formation processes in archaeological sites from the Salado River Depression (Buenos Aires province, Argentina): a soil micromorphology analysis

Soil micromorphology is a technique used in archaeology to study undisturbed samples and allows to visualize the elements of a soil and to understand the pedological evolution of the parent material by observing its composition, organization, and pedofeatures –soil horizon’s characteristics derived...

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Autores principales: Fernandez, Alejandro, Morrás, Héctor, Bressan, Emiliano
Formato: Artículo publishedVersion
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Instituto de Arqueología, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires 2022
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Acceso en línea:https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/Arqueologia/article/view/9984
https://repositoriouba.sisbi.uba.ar/gsdl/cgi-bin/library.cgi?a=d&c=arqueo&d=9984_oai
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Sumario:Soil micromorphology is a technique used in archaeology to study undisturbed samples and allows to visualize the elements of a soil and to understand the pedological evolution of the parent material by observing its composition, organization, and pedofeatures –soil horizon’s characteristics derived from specific pedogenic processes–. We present the results of the micromorphological analysis carried out on soil samples coming from three archaeological sites of the Salado River Depression (Buenos Aires province): San Ramón 7 (SR7), in a wetland environment, Laguna Esquivel Fagoada (LEF), and Laguna Del Medio, close to shallow lakes. This study aims to identify site formation processes that could have affected the preservation of buried archaeological materials. Results indicate that the soils in each of the sites considered are different and have been disturbed in different ways. On the one hand, bone microremains have been described and quantified in SR7, reinforcing the highly fragmentary character of this site’s archaeological record. Furthermore, the identification of Fe-Mn nodules indicates temporary hydromorphic conditions that would have affected the integrity of bone remains. On the other hand, foreign mollusk remains were recovered from LEF, indicating an environment disturbed by anthropic activities. Finally, in LDM, high biological activity is reflected by frequent infilled channels and passage features. The identification of mineral components and pedofeatures through micromorphology contributes to the understanding of formation processes acting in shallow sites such as those analyzed.