Towards an artefact's-eye view: Non-site analysis of discard patterns and lithic technology in Neotropical settings with a case from Misiones province, Argentina.

Abstract

Surface scatters are an important source of archaeological data in the Neotropics, yet despite their role in exploring regional land use, existing frameworks have serious methodological and theoretical drawbacks. This study proposes a robust alternative to site-centric approaches, by examining spatial and technological variability in time-averaged deposits of artefacts collected from the modern surface of Misiones province, north-eastern Argentina. A family of spatial statistical techniques supported by Monte Carlo simulation identify statistically significant inhomogeneity and clustering in lithic point pattern data. This highlights interaction between technologically meaningful sub-samples of four assemblages, which is interpreted as reflecting long-term discard and association of distinctive reduction sequences. These are irreducible to individual episodes, demonstrating that partitioning palimpsests into sites poorly reflects record formation on a landscape level. This illustrates how explicit models of depositional trends can provide information on indigenous land use, and underlines the rich informative potential of surface archaeology in tropical settings.