Late Holocene Palaeoenvironments of the Nutria Mansa 1 Archaeological Site, Argentina

BONOMO M., ZUCOL A.F., GUTIÉRREZ TELLEZ B., CORADEGHINI A. Y M.S. VIGNA

Journal of Paleolimnology

Springer

Lugar: Massachusett; Año: 2009 vol. 41 p. 273 - 296

This paper presents results of interdisciplinary palaeoenvironmental research carried out on a sediment sequence from the Nutria Mansa 1 archaeological site. This late Holocene site is located in the Pampean plains, Argentina. Siliceous microfossils were recorded (i.e. phytoliths, diatoms, chrysophytes, sponges) and micro-charcoal was analysed. In addition, fauna identified at the site were correlated with regional paleoclimatic evidence. Based on the microfossil associations, we concluded that the human occupations occurred within a fluvial and brackish-freshwater lacustrine setting. Grass communities were located on its margins that developed under a warm temperate climate with evidence for dryness and marked seasonality in part of the record. Although some stratigraphic and faunal evidence indicates a possible temperature increase, these fluctuations were not sufficient to extirpate mammals of arid and cold environments.