Practices, Places, and Roads in the Peopling Process of South American Settlement

Abstract

he colonization of the Americas was a complex, multilineal process that transformed unknown spaces into signified landscapes. This study highlights Fishtail points (FTPs) as indicators of environmental and social learning. A georeferenced database of 173 FTP sites reveals their widespread distribution and chronology from 13,200–11,000 cal yr BP. Using GIS, we analyze the spatial density of FTPs and model a network to illustrate possible circulation paths for objects, information, and people. The technology behind FTPs is more standardized and extensive than that of earlier artifacts, suggesting a cultural revitalization that fostered large social networks. The distribution of FTPs and their network serve as proxies for a cultural phenomenon that occurred after the earliest colonization events. Significant nodes within these networks include key sites such as Amigo Oeste, Piedra Museo, Los Toldos in Patagonia, and Cerro El Sombrero in the Pampas, offering insights into early South American social dynamics.