Chile - Fell and Pali Aike Caves

"The first inhabitants of the southernmost end of America came from the north by land, and settled in the southern Patagonia area approximately 11,000 years ago, when the ice of the last glaciation had retreated to the Andean summits, giving place to more mild climatic conditions. The evidences of these first groups of hunters-pickers, in this case grouped together under the denomination of Cuitural Period I or "Paleoindian", have been found at the voicanic steppe area of Pali Aike, close to the Magallanes Strait. The most important sites are the Fell Cave, the stratigraphy of which shows the different stages of these groups' evolution, specially their technology, and the Pali Aike Cave which, among other relics, lodges three cremated human skeletons, proving the performance of funerary ceremonies and contributing valuable information regarding the physical characteristics of these people. These sites, corresponding to temporary encampments of these parties of hunters, were discovered and studied in the 1930s by Junius Bird who, in association with other researchers, found cultural traces, human remains, and Pleistocene fauna remains: large animals at present extinct which are a fondamental reference to understand the way of life of these groups. The main artifact employed by these groups was the dart's end known as "fish tail" on account of its looks. These ends were intensively used and reused after being repaired and, judging by their being found in hearths were pieces of American horses were roasted, they were also employed to carve Pleistocene fauna..."