|
|
Archeology
 |
From the
days of the first, nameless, hunter-gatherers, to the last aboriginals
-the Tsoneca- countless generations trod Southern Patagonia
along circuits ranging over thousands of square miles. They
settled for short periods where game was plentiful, living in
solid portable homes made with poles (brought all the way from
the woods in the Andes) and guanaco skin. It is at these spots
-many of which are at Monte León- that arrow heads, flint
knives, scrapers, and stone balls from the "boleadoras" (a throwing
weapon later adopted by the Gaucho), bearing the imprint of
different "styles" or phases, bear witness to the presence of
the aboriginals.Mounds of
discarded shells, charred bones and stone implements are usual
at the coastal area. Researchers believe them to be the trace
of ancient peoples who sailed in from the Pacific about 8,000
years ago.
Recent research
has determined that black obsidian artifacts of an esteemed
antiquity of 7,000-9,000 years found at Monte León is originated at Pampa del Asador, an area 300 miles away. This
suggests the existence of prehistoric trade routes in Patagonia.
Archeological
heritage is protected by local, federal and international law
and should not be collected or otherwise disturbed by visitors.
|
|
