CICYTTP   12500
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION CIENTIFICA Y DE TRANSFERENCIA TECNOLOGICA A LA PRODUCCION
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Late Holocene vegetal communities inferred from archaeological sites in the North-eastern Patagonia: anthrachological evidences from Zoko Andi 1 site (Argentina).
Autor/es:
SÁNCHEZ J.O.; BREA M.; ZUCOL A.F.; MARTINEZ G.A. ; MARTINEZ G.A.
Lugar:
Uspallata
Reunión:
Conferencia; 4th Southern Deserts Conference; 2014
Institución organizadora:
Laboratorio de ecología Humana
Resumen:
The principal aim of this poster is to present a
preliminary floristic characterization of the
environmental conditions which would have
prevailed during the initial late Holocene in the
lower basin of the Colorado River with
anthracological data. This area is located in a
semi-arid ecotonal landscape, crossed by an
allochthonous river which flows into the Atlantic
Ocean. Archaeological sites usually have scarce
and very fragmentary anthrachological records,
but the Zoko Andi 1 site has preserved an large
amount of archaeological charcoal. This site
presents two archaeological components related
to distinct temporal periods from the Late
Holocene. Charcoal assemblages were obtained
from the lower component dated ~1500?1300
BP, which corresponds to the Initial Late
Holocene. Radiocarbon data were obtained from
both charcoal and bones. All charcoal fragments
recorded are in stratigraphic position associated
with cultural materials in a defined sector of the
stratigraphy, units 5 and 6. Dispersed charcoal
was employed to identify trees and/or shrubs
found in the area around hunter-gatherer
settlements. Charcoal is usually an indicator of
human selection and use of forest resources. The
archaeological charcoals were identified by
examining freshly fracture surfaces in transversal,
radial, and tangential sections using reflected
light. They were identified using standard wood
key, wood atlases, and descriptions by diverse
authors and InsideWood Database
(http://insidewood.lib.ncsu.edu/).
The terminology for the wood features follows
the IAWA Lists of Features Suitable for Harwood
Identification. Charcoal remains were compared
to extant species, particularly present-day taxa
from south?central Argentina. The analysis of 94
samples of archaeological charcoal enabled the
following species to be identified: Prosopis
caldenia (36%), Prosopis flexuosa (2%), Senna
aphylla (21%), Jodina rhombifolia (8%), Condalia
microphyllia (20%) and Larrea divaricata (13%)
related to Leguminoseae-Mimosoideae,
Leguminoseae-Caesalpinioideae, Santalaceae,
Rhamnaceae and Zygophyllaceae, respectively.
First, Prosopis and Condalia (58%) are hardwoods
and therefore have high caloric values and long
combustible duration. They are an excellent
source of heat and were probably used for
heating, cooking and lighting. Second, Senna,
Jodina and Larrea could have been used for fire
starting. Anthracological analyses of the charcoal
assemblages of Zoko Andi 1 demonstrated that
during the initial Late Holocene the woody
vegetation of this region was from a xerophytic
open environment with xeric trees and shrubs
and with trees and thick thorn scrub dotted by
herbaceous gaps. This vegetation grew in an arid
to semi-arid climate.