Localidad cantera-taller Arroyo La Saudade. Un área de aprovisionamiento de cuarcitas de buena calidad en las sierras de la Ventana, Provincia de Buenos Aires

This paper presents research advances developed in the archaeological locality Arroyo La Saudade. It consists in a quarry workshop area located in the south-western sector of Ventania hilly range. It is located above an outcrop of the Brecha Cerro Colorado unit, formed by good quality quartzite pebbles. On these pebbles evidence of knapping to obtained raw material were detected as well as a large amount of spatially associated lithic artifacts. Surface collections and two excavation units were performed. On the recovered artifacts, macroscopic (to characterize its colour, fracture, and cortex), microscopic (by means of a petrographic microscope) and technomorphological analysis were conducted. The quartzites show varied knappable quality, with a predominance of good and very good fractures, with smooth and bright fracture surfaces. The colours are presented in a limited range, with predominance of ochre and pink. Among the recovered artifacts are cores in different stages of reduction and preparation, tools, and flakes. Some implications of these findings are discussed.