Alfarerías tubulares en el noreste de la provincia de Buenos Aires: caracterización y distribución

Abstract

Ceramic forms known as "tubular potteries" have been found in archaeological sites of hunter-gatherers in the northeast of Buenos Aires Province, practically since the first investigations in the area. They appear in low frequency within the ceramic assemblages. The peculiarity of such ceramics is their morphology with two open ends. After the discovery of fragments of this type in two archaeological sites, San Clemente VI and Las Marías (Magdalena and Punta Indio counties, Buenos Aires Province), we proceeded to its characterization. These fragments are contextualized within the total ceramic sample of each site. We also make a systematic study of this archaeological information and analyze the location and time distribution of these tubular potteries. They have been found near rivers, lakes and sea sides, in at least 30 archaeological sites, located mostly in the northeast of the Province of Buenos Aires. Some fragments were found in Entre Rios and Corrientes Provinces. Tubular potteries time distribution includes part of the Late Holocene, roughly between 1800 and 600 years BP. We propose these tubular potteries were as transfer tools whose functions would be understood by contextualizing the analysis of the complete ceramic record of each archaeological site.