Salado River Wetlands (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina): An Archaeological Perspective

The Ninth Congress of Archaeology of the Argentine Pampas was held in August 2021. This chapter summarizes the experiences and reflections I presented in this congress, resulting from my long work experience in the Pampean region, particularly in the Salado River Depression. I present a consideration in dialogue with the data to address a history of at least 2400 years, and I use archaeological tools to approach that past, by combining theoretical and methodological positions. I emphasize my original contributions to the Salado River basin since I studied a region where there was no systematic research but only isolated works and data from collectors. It has not been easy, but I have worked intensively in this area of Buenos Aires Province where current human activity makes the archaeologist’s work difficult. The abundance of archaeological remains indicates the intensive use of these sites: the presence of human remains, local manufacture of ceramics and lithic tools (using rocks transported from distant places), emphasis on the use of small fauna and avifauna closely related to internal aquatic environments, fishing gear, and the use of plants native to these environments. In addition, the location of the archaeological settlements in the river-lakes system of the Salado River basin shows the implementation of diversified strategies for the use of resources available in the landscape and for the preparation and consumption of food. It was a wetland with rich aquatic ecosystems that provided a reliable resource base for the hunter-gatherer-fisher (HGF) societies of the waterways.