Georeferenced dataset of archaeological absolute dates with associated contextual information from the Late Pleistocene–Holocene of Northwest Patagonia and central Chile

Description

This dataset comprises 1,284 published georeferenced absolute dates from 448 archaeological sites across Northwest Patagonia (Argentina) and central Chile. It was compiled through a systematic and comprehensive review of international and regional journals, books, project reports, conference proceedings, and institutional bulletins, complemented by direct communication with researchers responsible for the original excavations. The dataset includes dates obtained by conventional radiocarbon dating, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), thermoluminescence, and obsidian hydration, measured on a wide range of materials, including charcoal, bones, plant remains, shells, sediments, ceramics, and obsidian artifacts. Associated contextual information is also provided, including the presence of human remains, ceramics, domesticated plants, megafauna, and shell middens. By integrating chronological and contextual information from a wide range of published sources, this dataset provides a consolidated resource that can support chronological, spatial, and comparative analyses of archaeological records across Northwest Patagonia and central Chile.

Steps to reproduce

A systematic review of published absolute dates from archaeological sites in Northwest Patagonia and central Chile was conducted, including international and local journals, reports, conference proceedings, bulletins, and books. Dates with doubtful archaeological associations —particularly uncalibrated ages older than 15,000 BP— were excluded. Radiocarbon dates obtained from terrestrial materials (N = 986) were calibrated using the SHCal20 curve, whereas those derived from marine materials (N = 56) were calibrated with the Marine20 curve, applying a regional ΔR correction (local deviations from the global marine reservoir). Calibrations and probabilistic analyses were performed in R using Bayesian methods, producing normalized probability distributions for each date. Dates obtained through thermoluminescence and obsidian hydration were not calibrated and are reported in their original uncalibrated form. Contextual information associated with the dated materials was systematically compiled, including the presence of human remains, ceramics, megafaunal remains, domesticated plants, and shell middens. Ambiguous associations (e.g., post-depositional megafaunal remains) were excluded. The shell midden category includes only marine deposits, while fluvial shell middens are identified separately in the database. Dates from historical sites with inferred agriculture were also included and clearly indicated.

Institutions

• Universidad Nacional de La Plata

  Buenos Aires, La Plata
• Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

  Buenos Aires F.D., Buenos Aires

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