An archaeological perspective of the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary in northern South America

In this paper, I examine Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene adaptations of hun ter-gatherers to different ecosystems in northern South America. The role p layed by the climatic events associated with the Pleistocene/Holocene bound ary in the evolution of culture in that part of the Americas is assessed in the light of those adaptations. The conclusion is that the Pleistocene/Hol ocene boundary is not very useful in understanding the human process of ear ly colonization and adaptation to the Various ecosystems of northern South America, because a mechanism of cultural change cannot be linked to that bo undary. (C) 1998 INQUA/Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.