IIBBA   05544
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES BIOQUIMICAS DE BUENOS AIRES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Identification of Southamerican camelid fat in absorbed residues of West Tinogasta pottery (300-1600 AD) using chemical and stable isotope analyses.
Autor/es:
LANTOS, IRENE JOHANNA; SPANGENBERG, JORGE E.; RATTO, NORMA; MAIER, MARTA SILVIA
Lugar:
San Rafael
Reunión:
Congreso; International Conference of Archaeozoology; 2014
Resumen:
Pre-Hispanic Andean foodways included wild and domesticated Southamerican camelid meat, fat or bone marrow stewed with vegetables in ceramic pots. Food residues such as lipids are well preserved in ceramic matrixes and can be identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). Previous archaeozoological analyses showed consumption of Lama glama and Vicugna vicugna in West Tinogasta (Catamarca, Argentina). We report results of GC-MS and GC-C-IRMS of 22 potsherds recovered in sites located in the Fiambalá valley (1300-2400 masl) and Chaschuil puna (4000 masl) from pre-Inka agropastoralist communities (300-1100 AD) and Inka expansion into the region (1400-1600 AD). Fatty acid profiles showed myristic, palmitoleic, stearic and oleic acids typical of animal fats. Fatty acids specific to pseudo-ruminants were identified on 7 potsherds. Biomarkers were ramified and odd-numbered methyl-tetradecanoic, methyl-hexadecanoic, pentadecanoic and heptadecanoic acids. The composition and concentration was identical in llama fresh meat and jerkey reference samples. Isotope analysis showed δ13C values of main fatty acids in archaeological samples (-25.17 ± 1.17) comparable to llama samples (-24.48 ± 2.71). Principal component analysis and cluster analysis indicated overlapping of archaeological and llama samples. Some mixtures of camelid and C3 (beans or algarrobo) and C4 (maize) plants were identified. Combined chromatographic and isotopic analyses can reliably identify Southamerican camelid lipids in pottery. It could be useful in poor bone preservation contexts where consumption may be underestimated. The results obtained show important camelid consumption practices in W Tinogasta.