54. Possible Relatives in the Americas

Beagle Channel sites (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina)

by George Weber

Table of Contents   1. Imiwuaia sites --- cave 1: 54o 52.26' S, 67o 17.18' E --- cave 2: 54o 52.22' S, 67o 17.16' E) 2. Acatushun site (54o 52.42' S, 67o 19.91' W) 3. Paiashauia I site (54o 52.58' S, 67o 46.09)' W) 4. Shamakush I site (54o 51.56' S, 67o 51.70' W) 5. Mischiuen III site (54o 51.67' S, 67o 52.08' W) 6. Tunel 7 site (54o 49' 15" S, 68o 09' 20" W)

The main archaeological sites along the northern shore of the eastern part of the Beagle Channel

The archaeological discovery of human finds in Tierra del Fuego is very rare - and even the oldest found so far remains are "only" at most a some hundreds of yearss old, a few over a thousand. Along the eastern end of the beagle Channel on the Argentinian northern shores, a number of sites have yielded human remains up to . These have been described (in Spanish) by E. Piana, A. Tessone and A.F. Zangrando in 2006 under the title "Mortuary Contexts in the Beagle Channel Region".

We only reproduce a few illustrations here. For detailed reading you are referred to the original article on the internet (a knowledge of Spanish is required) and the literature cited below. The English abstract reads as follows:

"This paper presents the results of surveys and excavations of human mortuary contexts made in the north coast of the Beagle Channel (Tierra del FuegoArgentina). Methodological procedures are delineated and analysed according to both natural and cultural processes that have affected the formation of the mortuary record. Finally, we elaborate a series of initial observations on activities related to death and patterns in human remains depositions in the Fuegian archipelago."

Literature: Orquera, L. A. y E. L. Piana. 2000. "Imiwaia I: un sitio de canoeros del sexto milenio AP en la costa norte del canal Beagle". En: Desde el Pays de los Gigantes. Perspectivas arqueologicas en Patagonia. Tomo II, pp. 441-449. Argentina. Orquera, Luis A. y Ernesto L. Piana. 1998. "Imiwaia I: un sitio de canoeros del sexto milenio AP en la costa norte del canal Beagle". En: IV Jornadas de Arqueologia de la Patagonia, Resuºmenes de ponencias, pp. 21, Rio Gallegos 2 al 6 de noviembre de 1998 Orquera, L. A. y E. L. Piana. 1999. "Vigesima campana arqueologica en Tierra del Fuego: El sitio Imiwaia I". En: XIII Congreso Nacional de Arqueologia Argentina, pðgs. 402-404. Cordoba.

1. Imiwuaia sites

Among the oldest human remains discovered so far in the Beagle Channel region is a molar tooth from Imiwaia 1, dated to 5,870 ± 145 years before the present. The tooth most likely comes from an ancestor of the later Yamana people. The microwear pattern on this tooth indicates the consumption of hard foods that had to be much chewed.

Entrance to Imiwuaia 2 cave.

2. Acatushun site

General view of the Acatushun site near Eastancia Harberton. Parts of three skeletons (including one child) were found near the sea shore.

Some of the dead were apparently wearing clothes with buttons or had buttons with them, i.e. they were buried in historical times. The arrows on this photograph point at such buttons.

3. Paiashauia site

Below: the arrow points at the site.

Left: The body of an adult male was found buried 33 m from the sea shore and 6 m above sea level. No culural artefacts are associated with this find. Date seems to be relatively recent.

4. Shamakush I site

The Shamakush site is 670 m away from the sea shore. It was disturbed by illegal excavators before official excavatation starting in 1994 discovered the remains of two adult women, one adult man man and one child. The bones were found to be fragmented way. C14 dating has shown the remains to be 620 ± 60 years old.

Far left: The Shamakush site. Left: HUman bones and stone tools found during the excavatation.

5. Mischiuen III rockshelter

  

The Mischiuen rock shelter was excavated in 2001. , Left:: Skeleton of a aburial found at Mischiuen shelter. Two individuals were found and dated to around 625 ± 25 years ago (ca. 1370 AD).

6. Tunel 7 site

  

The Tunel 7 site excavation in progress.

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Last change 1 March 2007