Nearshore Paleoceanographic Conditions and Human Adaptation on the Coast of the Atacama Desert (Chile, 25°S) During the Early and Middle Holocene

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Palaeoeconomic and Environmental Reconstructions in Island and Coastal Archaeology" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The transition period between the Early and Middle Holocene is associated with important changes in climate and human dynamics around the world. The coast of the Atacama Desert (Chile, 25°S) is not an exception. Early Holocene archaeological sites show evidence of a generalized coastal economy that towards the Middle Holocene changed to a consolidated marine subsistence with a marked increase in fish remains and specialized fishing tools. Changes in local nearshore sea surface temperatures (SST) are also recorded from cooler to warmer conditions. SST plays an important role in modulating natural conditions of nearshore habitats. At the same time, subsistence strategies of fishing communities are strongly linked to the natural dynamics of these habitats. Data on past SST, archaeological marine fauna and fishing technology from the coast of the Atacama Desert (Chile, 25°S), will be presented to discuss the relationship between the development of specialized fishing communities and nearshore habitats along the Pacific Coast of South America.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Palaeoeconomic and Environmental Reconstructions in Island and Coastal Archaeology

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23684