Río Uruguay. Una síntesis arqueológica

The Uruguay River basin spans over Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay and is one of the fluvial networks fundamental for the human occupation of southeastern South America. From its sources to its mouth and from the late Pleistocene to the present, this river shows archaeological and ethnohistorical evidence of indigenous occupations. In this context, this article offers a regional synthesis of the history of these occupations and the development of archaeological research in the three abovementioned countries. First, we provide the environmental context and the most significant archaeological works. Then, we present the archaeological sites and the most relevant artifacts for the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, early Holocene, and middle Holocene. Finally, we characterize the Taquara-Itarare, Goya-Malabrigo and Guarani archaeological record corresponding to the late Holocene. The information presented here allows recognition of the Uruguay River and its tributaries as the scenario of complex population dynamics, characterized by the articulation of a large number of culturally and linguistically diverse populations, for over 12,000 years.