Abstract

The maritime lifestyles that characterize the archipelagos of western Patagonia began to develop in the mid-Middle Holocene. The archaeological record suggests as possible origins the extreme south and the extreme north of this insular territory. The proposal of a northern ecotonal core of maritization was based on the discovery of several sites with specialized early coastal settlements, among which the shell midden Puente Quilo-1 stands out. Here we present the results of new excavations carried out at the site, to clarify its chronology, occupational history, and relevance to the understanding of the process of maritization and colonization of the archipelagoes. By integrating previous research on the site, the new data show a reoccupation sequence closely linked to landscape changes related to sea-level variations. The camp is characterized by functional diversity and different activity areas that occurred in a context of regional expansion of marine hunter-gatherers. These cultural attributes and the chronology reinforce the hypothesis of a nucleus of maritization in the north of this archipelago.