THE AYAYEMA CAVE BURIAL (MADRE DE DIOS ISLAND, WESTERN ARCHIPELAGOES OF PATAGONIA)

Abstract

Within the framework of an expedition of the French Federation of Speleology, D. Legoupil made in 2000, a fast archaeological survey in the Madre de Dios island. In a cave that is the entrance of an undergroung network of 145 m leght, a human skeleton was found lying besides the wall. Because of the humidity of the cave, it was decided to rescue these bones that were later dated on 4.520±60 BP. This date represents nowadays the oldest evidence for the presence of man in the central part of the archipelagoes of Patagonia.