Abstract

Late Pleistocene sites in the Americas provide relevant data for modelling paleolandscapes, studying paleohabitats and available resources, as well as discussing possible migration routes for the peopling of the Americas. However, interpretation of these sites is often hindered by the nature of the evidence recovered—primarily animal bones that are subject to complex formation processes, with no—or extremely discrete—signs of human modification. With the exception of the GNL Quintero 1 site (GNLQ1), evidence of late Pleistocene drowned terrestrial sites dated after the Last Glacial Maximum is very scarce along the Pacific coasts of both North and South America. The site studied herein is located in central Chile (Quintero Bay), where a well-preserved continental fauna bone assemblage was recovered (c. 24,800–21,600 BP) with a high taxonomic diversity that includes extinct fauna but also small mammals (Camelidae, Cervidae, Xenarthra, Mylodontidae, Canidae, Rodentia and Myocastoridae). Recently, a 3D mesh model of a section of the site was obtained through diver multi-image underwater high-resolution photogrammetry. These 3D images were used for bone refitting, modification identification, and location within the depositional matrix. Photogrammetry provided a rapid and precise mapping method for in situ recording and when coupled with 3D modelling proved to be a powerful tool for interpreting taphonomic trajectories of the bone assemblage. Although 3D models are commonly useful for interpreting wreck sites and other complex structures and artefacts, they can also be successfully applied to the study of drowned Late Pleistocene sites with few visible features.