The mid to late Holocene transition in Barrancas, Jujuy, Argentina: Regional climate change, local environments and archaeological implications

This paper presents the preliminary results of a multiproxy analysis of the Cruces 2 record (PCC2), located in the area of Barrancas, Dpt. of Cochinoca, Province of Jujuy, Argentina. Our studies included geomorphology, organic matter and carbonate content, magnetic properties of sediments, diatoms and pollen analysis, with the purpose of exploring the environmental characteristics of the locality from the mid- to late Holocene transition (ca. 4500 BP) to 1000 BP. This research contributes to an ongoing effort to model resource structure during the Holocene in the South-central Andes highlands of Argentina, thus allowing a more informed debate regarding the availability, distribution and characteristics of human habitats in this region, contributing to predict and explain patterns in the archaeological record both at regional and local scales.