Mariano Carlos Del Papa

The human settlement of the American continent has been the focus of studies in American archaeology. Since the very beginnings of the discipline, theories have been developed around two key aspects that explain this process: on one hand, the path taken by these first populations, and on the other, the chronology of these events, with a particular emphasis on the earliest records. Currently, there is a general consensus within the scientific community on the settlement route, via the Bering Strait from Siberia to North America, followed by movement toward South America. However, there is no agreement on the chronological context. Two scenarios are considered: an early one, before the end of the glacial period, and a late one, occurring after the glacial period ended. In this context, the discovery in northeastern Argentina’s Pampean region of an archaeological site named Río Reconquista I, where the presence of fossil remains of a glyptodont showing evidence of human manipulation has been documented and dated to 21,000 years before present, could substantially modify the post-glaciation settlement hypothesis. The goal of this project is to carry out archaeological excavations and subsequent analyses of this site.