Entre desierto y quebrada. Primeros resultados de las excavaciones realizadas en el abrigo de Tomayoc (Puna de Jujuy, Argentina)

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE EXCAVATIONS AT THE TOMAYOC ROCKSHELTERS (JUJUY PUNA, ARGENTINA). This paper presents the main results of the excavations carried out in the rockshelter of Tomayoc (Aguilar Sierra, Jujuy, Argentina) between 1987 and 1990. The stratigraphy and the chronology of the occupation, which extends from 4250±50 BP to 550±50 BP, are presented and discussed. In spite of erosional phenomena that have severely affected the archaeological deposits, eight relatively well preserved occupation floors have been excavated following natural levels by the decapage method. These floors of variable extension correspond to four occupation phases, respectively situated in the Archaic Period (Phases I and II), Earl or ?Temprano? Period (Phase III) and Late or ?Tardio? Period (Phase IV) which were defined with chronological, stratigraphic and typological criteria. Every recognized living floor has been submitted to a paleoethnological study. Among the most important results, the presence of a domesticated camelid (alpaca) as early as the Archaic period (Phase II: 3480±40 - 3250±60 BP) must be noted as well as, during the ?Temprano? Period (Phase III), the presence of ceramics associated with a radiocarbon date of 2950±50 BP.