54. Possible Relatives in the Americas

Los Toldos sites (Santa Cruz, Argentina)

by George Weber

 

 

 

The Location of the main Los Toldos site (at 68o W, 43' 60", 47o 27' 00" S).

Note that there are other Los Toldos sites in Patagonia or sites that have 'Los Toldos' as part of their name. Even in scientificic literature too often the sites are too often not clearly distinguished which leads to confusion.

 

 

The environment of the Los Tolds sites.

Los Toldos is a group of rockshelters and caves located near the middle parts of the Deseado River in the Argentinian province of Santa Cruz. Most of the caves have been at least partially investigated since the 1950s but only a few have been thoroughly investigated and published. Among the many sites, caves 3 and 13 are the most important.

 

The entrance to Los Toldos 3 cave.
(adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

Below:
The core of the Los Toldos group of sites includes the major sites of Los Toldos 3 and 13. The canyon is also known as the Cañadón de las Cuevas.
(map adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973, "Secquencia arqueologica y cronologica radiocarbonica de la cueva 3 des Los Toldos." Relaciones, special issue 7).

 

 

 

Los Toldos 3 cave with the area excavated by A. Cardich in the early 1970s
(adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

Grey is the sheltered area.

There is evidence of at least four stone-tool cultures at Los Toldos 3:

- the oldest stratum 11 has an archaic culture with large, thick, retouched stone flakes, some medium-sized flakes, large end scrapers, side scrapers, retouched knives, and unifacial triangular points (the latter reminiscent of European Musterian-like points). Animal remains recovered from this level include camelids (various species of lama), an extinct type of horse (Parahipparion), Dusicyon avus (a type of South American fox), and rodents.

- strata 9 and 10 represent the Toldense culture (named after this site). It had side and end scrapers, bifacial sub-triangular points, fishtail point fragments, bifacial knives, biface core fragments, a controversial discoidal stone (throught to be the earliest bola ever found, see below), and bone tools including awls and spatulas. Faunal remains include camelids (Lama guanicoe and Lama gracilis), horse (Parahipparion), several birds (Eudromia and Rhea). Thes Toldense strata are also alleged to have yielded the controversial bola stone (see below).

- strata 6 and 7 represent the Casapedrense culture which is known from other but later sites in Patagonia (see Tres Tetas site)

- strata 2 and 3 represent later cultures widely known from other sites in Patagonia and elsewhere in South Ameerica 

 

 

The stratigraphy
and some C14 dates
of Los Toldos 3 cave.
(adapted from
Cardich A, et al, 1973)

 

 

 

This could have been an archaeological sensation: the world's oldest bola. But someone has badly messed up.

As http://www.ele.net/LaBelle/pampas/pamframe.htm comments under "Los Toldos" in regard to this bola:

... problematic detail is that Bird (1970) reports a discoidal stone and two Fell's Cave stemmed points from Menghin's excavations of Los Toldos Cave 2. These same artifacts were recovered in Los Toldos 3, and reported by Cardich (1978). Looking at the photo of the discoidal stone presented in Bird (1970:206), it is clearly visible that the discoidal stone is labeled as having come from Cave 2.

It is noticeable that in Cardich's publication of 1973 no stratum is given for the bola (most other finds discussed there have their strata mentioned). Cardich writes "le bola mas antiqua de America que conquemos hasta la fecha" so he was aware of the find's potential importance. At least one of the claims must be wrong, or put in other words, the bola cannot be assigned to a specific site and date - as such it of little or no archaeological value. A great pity.

(photo adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

On this controversy see Cardich A. and Flegenheimer N. 1978. "Descripcion y Tipologia de las Industrias Liticas mas Antiguas de Los Toldos." Relaciones de la Sociedad Argentina de Antropologia XII:225-242.

 

 

Left:
Stone tools from strata 1-3
(adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

Below:
Bone plates with cut marks from level 3

 

 

 

 

Saw-toothed tone tool of the Casapredense II style, from stratum 6
(adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

 

 

 

 

Stone tool of the Casapedrense I type from stratum 7
(adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two stone tools from stratum 9
(adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

 

 

 

Stone tools from stratum 10 (adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

 

Unifacial tone tool from stratum 11, the oldest at Los Toldos 3 and among the oldest known in America.
(adapted from Cardich A, et al, 1973)

 

Among web-sites with further information are:

- http://www.interpatagonia.com/paseos/expedicion_lostoldos/index.html  

- http://www.indigenas.bioetica.org/nota18.htm#_Toc86812833

- http://www.geocities.com/latrinchera2000/articulos/poblamiento2.html

 

 

 

[ Go to HOME ]

[ Go to CONTENTS OF OUT-OF-AFRICA CHAPTERS ]

[ Go to CONTENTS OF AMERICA CHAPTERS ]

Last change 11 May 2007