Prácticas funerarias de cazadores-recolectores terrestres en la zona de los morros (Santa Cruz, Argentina – Magallanes, Chile): una evaluación desde la arqueotanatología

This study presents a re-evaluation of two terrestrial hunter-gatherer burial contexts excavated during the 1950s and 1960s at the summits of Morro Chico and Morro Philippi, located in the border region between Magallanes (Chile) and Santa Cruz (Argentina). Although the bioanthropological material recovered in both cases is currently missing, the application of an archaeothanatological approach, based on documentary sources, photographic records, and new field evidence, allowed the recovery of fresh insights into these funerary practices. The excavation of a test pit at the summit of Morro Chico in late 2023 yielded burned bone fragments, ochre, and lithics with thermal alteration, which helped to identify the original location of the funerary context. At Morro Philippi, the analysis of photographic and documentary records confirmed that, at the time of excavation, the site contained the skeletal remains of more than three individuals, contrary to earlier claims by other authors. The results suggest that the construction of chenques on the morros required considerable energy investment, reflecting a late-period association between the selection of funerary locations and their social significance. Although their precise dating remains uncertain, the funerary practices documented, and the associated cultural materials indicate that both contexts can be attributed to the Late Holocene.