Huentelauquén coastal groups in the Andean highlands? An assessment of human occupations of the Early Holocene in Salar de Pedernales, Chile (26°S, 3356 masl)

ABSTRACT We present new evidence obtained in archaeological surveys in Quebrada Pedernales (3356 masl), in the southern puna of Chile (26°S; 69°W). A series of surface findings such as large lanceolate stemmed projectile points and geometric stones, together with chronostratigraphic and artifactual data recovered in excavations at the Pedernales-38 site, suggest that the coastal Huentelauquén groups explored and inhabited the Andean highlands between 10,151 and 9695 cal yr BP. The archaeological record is discussed as it relates to the known evidence for this cultural complex, recognized principally on the Pacific coast. The archaeological findings allow us to broaden the diversity of environments exploited by coastal populations of the Early Holocene, and provide new data on their mobility and settlement strategies.