Early human occupation in north-central Chile: Temporal and spatial trends (12.000 – 9.000 cal BP)

Understanding early human occupation in the Americas requires the integration of multiple analytical scales and regional approaches to capture both broad and localized patterns. North-Central Chile is a key area for examining this process, as it is characterized by a Mediterranean environment in which desert and puna ecosystems are absent, in contrast to the northern Andes. Despite its significance, evidence for human occupation between 12,000–9000 cal BP in this region remains limited and is largely restricted to a small number of isolated sites with poorly resolved radiocarbon chronologies, particularly when compared to the well-established models for the adjacent Pacific coast. Based on a regional survey conducted in the Elqui and Limarí valleys (29–30° S), this paper presents new evidence for early human occupation and evaluates its temporal and spatial patterns, as well as their implications for regional land use. The results document an early coastal–inland mobility circuit, highlight the role of specific rock shelters during the exploration and colonization of the region, and reveal fluctuations in human occupation that track paleoclimatic variability.