New radiocarbon dates confirm late Pleistocene human occupation in the Pampas of Argentina at c. 12,170 14C yrs BP: evidence from extinct horse at the Arroyo Seco 2 site

The Arroyo Seco 2 site (AS2) is a multi-component open air hunter-gatherer site located in the Pampean Region of Argentina. A recently published monograph summarized the current interpretations of the site, which contains bone remains of 11extinct Pleistocene mammals, including Eutatus seguini, Glossotherium robustum, Megatherium americanum, Paleolama cf. wedelli, Toxodon platensis, Equus (Amerhippus) sp., Glyptodon sp., Hemiauchenia sp., Hippidion sp., Macrauchenia sp., and Mylodontinae. While there is a concentration of selected anatomical parts of Pleistocene species and a spatial and stratigraphic association between them and lithic artifacts, the evidence of anthropic processing marks on the Pleistocene fauna bone surface remained scarce. Taphonomic analysis identified a proximal ulna bone fragment of Equus (Amerhippus) sp. with conclusive processing marks (two impact points with their respective negative flake scars on opposite sides of the shaft as well as notches produced by impact failures). A new AMS 14C analysis of this specimen yielded a date of 12,170 + 45 14C yrs BP; which is consistent with a previously-obtained determination on Megatherium remains averaged to 12,172 + 42 14C yrs BP (4 averaged dates). This date confirms the validity of the late Pleistocene human occupation chronology at the Pampas of Argentina.

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阿尔罗约塞科2号遗址（Arroyo Seco 2，简称AS2）是一处多成分露天狩猎采集遗址，坐落于阿根廷潘帕斯地区。近期发表的一部专著总结了该遗址目前的研究认知，遗址中出土了11种灭绝更新世哺乳动物的骨骼遗骸，包括Eutatus seguini、Glossotherium robustum、Megatherium americanum、Paleolama cf. wedelli、Toxodon platensis、Equus (Amerhippus) sp.、Glyptodon sp.、Hemiauchenia sp.、Hippidion sp.、Macrauchenia sp.以及Mylodontinae。尽管更新世物种的特定解剖部位骨骼存在富集现象，且这些骨骼与石制品之间存在空间与地层关联，但更新世动物骨骼表面的人类加工痕迹证据仍较为稀少。埋藏学分析在一件Equus (Amerhippus) sp.的尺骨近端碎片上发现了确凿的加工痕迹：骨骼轴的两侧各有一处打击点及对应的负片疤，同时存在因打击失误形成的刻痕。对该标本开展的全新加速器质谱碳14（AMS ¹⁴C）测年结果为12170±45 ¹⁴C yr BP；这一结果与此前基于Megatherium遗骸得到的测年结果一致，后者的4次平均测年值为12172±42 ¹⁴C yr BP。该测年结果证实了阿根廷潘帕斯地区晚更新世人类定居年代序列的合理性。

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