Social boundaries of hunter gatherer groups in the Parana´s lower basin. A stylistic analysis of pottery.

Abstract

The hunter-gatherer groups that had inhabite the Paraná´s lower basin have produced a large number of ceramic vessels used for cooking, storing and transporting food. These pieces have been reconstructed as bowls with open shapes and simple contours. Although the way of manufacture has reflected shared practices, the decoration presents a greater variability. In this work, the objective is to analyze how the style has acted in pottery among the hunter-gatherer groups, taking into account the model proposed for the area that sustain a demographic increase that began approximately 1100 years ago, which  encouraged a further social fragmentation. The main hypothesis propose that the most visible aspects of the vessels, such as iconographic representations, can be used to reflect the establishment of stricter social boundaries. In this sense, the ceramic collections of four sites (Médanos de Escobar, Túmulo de Campana 2, Anahí, Punta Canal) are compared, which allows us to broach an extended chronological range to analyze decorative techniques and stylistic motifs throughout this process. It is expected to find, from the 1100 years AP, a greater standardization of decorative techniques and the presence of more complex motifs with the objetive of building a homogeneous and distinctive style.