**4. Quartz crystals at the sites of** *Corazón de la Isla*

In the central strip of Tierra del Fuego, hyaline quartz materials were recovered at two archeological sites, Kami 7 site and Lainez 1 site.

Kami 7 is an extensive site located on an elevation of till, surrounded by a small pebble beach on the south coast of Lake Fagnano. This area has a thin soil eroded in many sectors, characterized by a mixed evergreen forest of *Nothofagus pumilio* and *Nothofagus betuloides*, and the presence of an extensive *Sphagnum* bog to the east (i.e., in Refs. [19, 28]).

The archeological researches in Kami 7 were made from two methodological strategies: excavation and surface collection. Two excavations were carried out: a large one (K7a) in which a total area of 12.75 m2 and another 1 × 1 m (K7b) were excavated to protect material that was at the edge of the road. Finally, the whole area was squared and the surface material recovered following the grid.

In the wide excavation, two combustion areas could be determined, located 1 m away from each other. These areas have important differences between them, as well as in the archeological materials associated with each one. The combustion area no. 1 has an approximate diameter of 60 cm, and its thickness does not exceed 3 cm. The associated archeological materials include coals, bone remains, remains of lithic technology, etc. Within the raw materials represented, there are various types of rhyolites and green industrial glass (flake and microflakes). The presence of glass microflakes in this combustion area implies that this occupation took place after contact with the Europeans (**Table 1**).

The combustion area no. 2 has an approximate diameter of 50 cm, and its thickness did not exceed 2 cm. Coals of various sizes and with a wider dispersion than in combustion area no. 1 were recovered. It was obtained by analysis of AMS, on a sample of charcoal, a date of 769–974 cal AD (OxCal V 4.3.2, SHtCal 13, 95.4%) which implies that the site was occupied—so less—also in this antiquity. The lithic sample inside this combustion area is formed by 1757 elements. The majority correspond to remains smaller than 2 cm, followed by numerous flakes and fragments of various sizes, while the finished instruments are very scarce, as well as cores (**Table 2** and **Figure 2**). The raw materials represented are mainly fine- and medium-grain rhyolites, followed by cinerites.

During the excavation, the presence of prismatic crystals of hyaline quartz was recorded. They were scattered over a radius of approximately 4 m. The sample consists of eight crystals with varying degrees of fragmentation, although large, pyramidal, and bipyramidal between 1.5 and 4 cm (**Figure 3**). To date, no sources of supply of this raw material have been detected near the site.

**179**

**Figure 2.**

**Table 1.**

**Table 2.**

*Sociocultural Interaction and Symbolism in Prehistoric South America: Quartz Crystal…*

To carry out the techno-morphological study, we treated the crystals surfaces with ammonium chloride powder in order to avoid translucency that impeded examination (**Figure 4**). The crystals generally have a faceted structure that even

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90851*

*Not retouched artifacts from the Kami 7 site.*

*Retouched artifacts from the Kami 7 site.*

*Kami 7 archeological site excavation plant.*

*Sociocultural Interaction and Symbolism in Prehistoric South America: Quartz Crystal… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90851*


#### **Table 1.**

*Pleistocene Archaeology - Migration, Technology, and Adaptation*

tions in the central strip of Tierra del Fuego.

(i.e., in Refs. [19, 28]).

**4. Quartz crystals at the sites of** *Corazón de la Isla*

at two archeological sites, Kami 7 site and Lainez 1 site.

large one (K7a) in which a total area of 12.75 m2

contact with the Europeans (**Table 1**).

medium-grain rhyolites, followed by cinerites.

of supply of this raw material have been detected near the site.

and cavities in the rock, where these solutions decompress and deposit dissolved silica. Both during the Jurassic volcanism generated by the Fm Lemaire (which occupies the northern flank of the Sorondo mountain range, the Vinciguerra mountain range, the Valdivieso-Alvear mountain range, Montes Negros, etc. to States Island and to the west in Chile) and then during the regional metamorphism, these conditions could occur together with a moderate temperature of more than 200°C. The first case is more favorable than the second, because there was a higher temperature and wide availability of silica since it is an acid volcanism. Given the extent reached by the geological formations affected by these characteristics (i.e., in [58]), there may be

However, as mentioned above, its presence in archeological sites is very low. Therefore, it is interesting to mention the case of those we discovered the investiga-

In the central strip of Tierra del Fuego, hyaline quartz materials were recovered

Kami 7 is an extensive site located on an elevation of till, surrounded by a small pebble beach on the south coast of Lake Fagnano. This area has a thin soil eroded in many sectors, characterized by a mixed evergreen forest of *Nothofagus pumilio* and *Nothofagus betuloides*, and the presence of an extensive *Sphagnum* bog to the east

The archeological researches in Kami 7 were made from two methodological strategies: excavation and surface collection. Two excavations were carried out: a

excavated to protect material that was at the edge of the road. Finally, the whole

In the wide excavation, two combustion areas could be determined, located 1 m away from each other. These areas have important differences between them, as well as in the archeological materials associated with each one. The combustion area no. 1 has an approximate diameter of 60 cm, and its thickness does not exceed 3 cm. The associated archeological materials include coals, bone remains, remains of lithic technology, etc. Within the raw materials represented, there are various types of rhyolites and green industrial glass (flake and microflakes). The presence of glass microflakes in this combustion area implies that this occupation took place after

The combustion area no. 2 has an approximate diameter of 50 cm, and its thickness did not exceed 2 cm. Coals of various sizes and with a wider dispersion than in combustion area no. 1 were recovered. It was obtained by analysis of AMS, on a sample of charcoal, a date of 769–974 cal AD (OxCal V 4.3.2, SHtCal 13, 95.4%) which implies that the site was occupied—so less—also in this antiquity. The lithic sample inside this combustion area is formed by 1757 elements. The majority correspond to remains smaller than 2 cm, followed by numerous flakes and fragments of various sizes, while the finished instruments are very scarce, as well as cores (**Table 2** and **Figure 2**). The raw materials represented are mainly fine- and

During the excavation, the presence of prismatic crystals of hyaline quartz was recorded. They were scattered over a radius of approximately 4 m. The sample consists of eight crystals with varying degrees of fragmentation, although large, pyramidal, and bipyramidal between 1.5 and 4 cm (**Figure 3**). To date, no sources

area was squared and the surface material recovered following the grid.

and another 1 × 1 m (K7b) were

outcrops of this raw material distributed in various parts of the island.

**178**

*Not retouched artifacts from the Kami 7 site.*

