Multiproxy study of plant remains from Cerro Casa de Piedra 7 (Patagonia, Argentina)

CARUSO FERMÉ LAURA ; VELÁZQUEZ NADIA JIMENA; MARTINEZ TOSTO CECILIA; YAGUEDDÚ CRISTINA ; BURRY LIDIA SUSANA

Encuentro; 6th International Anthracology Meeting; 2015

The study of micro and macrobotanical remains allow to infer about vegetation type and to know the role of vegetable resources in the economy of a society. However, despite presence of plant remains from archaeological context represents a great potential for paleoenvironmental reconstructions and assessing past human behavior, its study as a whole is still rare in Patagonian hunter-gatherer archaeological research. The objectives of this work are the integral study of micro and macrobotanical remains, the assessing of taxonomic resolution levels and the contribution offered by each type of proxies. For this purpose, micro and macrobotanical remains (pollen and small plant remains) of human and camelids coprolites, and macrobotanical remains of sediments (wood andcharcoal) coming from three stratigraphic levels dated by 14C and resulting in ages of 9,640 ± 190 years BP, 8,380± 120 years BP and 6,150 ± 105 years BP, of the site Cerro Casa de Piedra 7 were analysed. The results of this study show different taxonomic resolutions. Coprolite pollen analysis allowed the identification of Nothofagus sp., whereas macroremains analysis evidenced the presence of N. pumilio and N. antarctica species. Furthermore, Poaceae pollen was determined whereas microhistological analysis allowed the identification of several species of Poaceae. Also Apiaceae pollen was identified and Azorella monantha were determined by microhistological analysis. The analyses performed in this study enriched the floristic list for each stratigraphic level. These results show the value of multiproxy studies for the integral study of archaeological sites.