Preliminary study of stable carbon isotopes of bulk lipid residues in archaeological ceramics from West Tinogasta, Argentina

HÉCTOR PANARELLO; NORMA RATTO; IRENE LANTOS; MARTA MAIER

Vessels Explored: Applying Archaeometry to South American Ceramics and their Production

Archaeopress - British Archaeological Reports (BAR) International Series

Lugar: Oxford; Año: 2016; p. 15 - 21

In this paper we studied the use and consumption practices of C3 and C4 food products in bulk lipid extracts from ceramic samples in West Tinogasta region. This preliminary analysis showed a great variability of use and consumption practices which could be explained by the multiple recipes and functions a pot had during its use life resulting in organic residue ?palimpsests?. No statistically significant correlation existed between site chronologies and isotopic signals, but a differential access to maize in the Batungasta Inka site was recognized. Another idea prompted from this study is that consumption and storage of both aloja and chicha alcoholic beverages occurred in the same festive wares, which could explain the mixed isotopic signals in this special kind of vessels. In sum, the present study demonstrated the usefulness of carbon stable isotope analysis on bulk lipid residues and triggered hypothesis for future studies on the foodways of pre-Hispanic West Tinogasta societies.