Archaeological Prospection of the Peninsula of Fildes

Responsible: Dr Antonio Lezama, Lic. Virginia Pereira, Bach. Ezequiel
Fernández.

The present project raises the accomplishment of an archaeological
investigation in the Peninsula of Fildes. The low population density, the
isolation conditions, the extreme colds, have turned to the Shetland of the
South in a reserve not only of fauna and flora but also of the material culture
of their inhabitants. All of this items turn to the island King George and to
the Peninsula of Fildes more indeed into an excellent place for the
accomplishment of archaeological investigations.

Moreover, the fact that many of their old inhabitants arrived as shipwrecked
grants to the investigation of the archaeological vestiges another point of
interest, as it is the visualization through the material culture of human
behavior in extreme situations. Also, the fact that our investigations will
take place in a protected area forces to us to design a particular
methodological and technical plan where the archaeological work is centered
fundamentally in the referencing, registry, mapping and protection of the
located archaeological vestiges. We pretend by this way to develop a
non-intrusive archaeology, which does not generate alterations to such a
sensible ecosystem to the action of exogenous agents - man including - as it is
it the King George Island. In that sense, we will work with a reduce staff,
with no more than four members and we won't do any excavation.

What refers to material culture we must say that we will take from the field
just the objects that we consider fundamental for the interpretation, in case
it is extremely necessary and only if it doesn't alter the fauna and flora. In
all the cases they will be samples of small dimensions, that do not jeopardize
the structure of the found rest. Previously they will be referenced by means of
the use of GPS and in detail registered, posteriori they will be analyzed in
the BCAA. We will only transferred to Montevideo the objects on which specific
analyses are due to make.

The environmental impact caused by the development of this modality of
non-intrusive archaeology, will be less than minimum. The final product of
this investigation will be the analysis and interpretation of the
archaeological data and the preparation of chart in which the protected
archaeological areas. We will put special emphasize in the vestiges of human
activity pre - Antarctic Treat. The zone in which the prospection will be
develop is defined to the north by limit SW of the Glacier Collins, and to the
west, east, and south by the coast of the Peninsula of Fildes.