Zoological origin and palaeobiological information in herbivore palaeofaeces from the South-Central Andes. Multiproxy exploratory study at Los Viscos archaeological site, Catamarca, Argentina

PETRIGH, ROMINA; BURRY, SUSANA; VELÁZQUEZ, NADIA; MONDINI, MARIANA; FUGASSA, MARTÍN; KORSTANJE, MARÍA ALEJANDRA

journal of archaeological science reports

Elesvier

Año: 2021 p. 1 - 12

2352-409X

The first results of the analysis of different proxies in herbivore palaeofaeces in the South-Central Andes are presented. We analysed a set of Late Holocene samples from Los Viscos archaeological site, located in Catamarca, Argentina. Their morphology, parasite contents, aDNA and pollen were considered. The aim of the study was to determine the zoological origin of the palaeofaeces as an additional line of evidence to identify the fauna deposited at the site. The samples of the the last 2000 years, were determined as Capra aegagrus hircus, Camelidae and Cetartiodactyla, which are consistent with other faunal remains. The identification of C.hircus faeces based on aDNA suggests the early presence of this herbivore of European origin in the region.Most of the identified parasite remains are taxon-specific. The identification of the Fasciola hepatica eggs in goat faeces from historical times, possibly from the early Hispanic-Indigenous contact, provides the earliest evidence of this parasite in domestic ruminants known for the region. Regarding the diet items of the Cetartiodactyla, the pollen spectra provide some clues that can be related to the management of these animals.Besides zoological identification, integration of the proxies analysed in this study has allowed Posing palaeoecological hypotheses that will be tested in future rounds of research.