Multiproxy taxonomic identification at Late Holocene Los Viscos archaeological site in the South-Central Andes

1. MARIANA MONDINI, ANAHÍ HERNÁNDEZ, M. FLORENCIA ARIAS, ROMINA S. PETRIGH, NADIA J. VELÁZQUEZ, MARTÍN H. FUGASSA

Encuentro; 9th Meeting of the ICAZ; 2021

Los Viscosrockshelter, in NW Argentina, has archaeological occupations ranging ca.680-1630 cal AD by agropastoral societies and, at the latest end of thesequence, a brief one during Hispanic-Indigenous early contact. Faunal remainsare well preserved and include bones, faeces, pellets, hair, feathers and artefacts.We applied a multiproxy, interdisciplinary approach to identify the taxonomicrichness represented at the site. We identified bones and teeth with the usualzooarchaeological approach of morphological comparison to reference collections,and also applied morphometric analyses, both traditional and geometric. Herbivorepalaeofaeces morphology, ancient DNA (aDNA), parasite and pollen contents were alsoanalysed. This is the first morphometric information on South American camelidsin this area and the first multiproxy study of herbivore palaeofaeces in theSouth-Central Andes. The information was in turn correlated with previous studieson animal fibers, carnivore scats, raptor pellets, and animal representationsin rock art. This multiproxy approach to the faunal record allowed robust inferences.Overall, it showed the interaction of the local human groups with camelids,both domestic (Lama glama) and wild (Lama guanicoe and Vicugna vicugna), which make up the bulk of the archaeofaunal assemblage,and suggested different modes of interaction with them, including hunting,gathering, grazing and also possibly exchange. Capra hircus was also identified by aDNA in some pellets–and not inbones–, suggesting an early presence of this European herbivore. None of these camelidscurrently inhabit the area, and goats introduced huge changes in the region.Thus, the study has significant palaeoenvironmental and cultural implications.