Carnivore taphonomy and the early human occupations in the Andes.

MARIANA MONDINI

JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2002 vol. 29 p. 791 - 801

0305-4403

Models of carnivore taphonomy in the Southern Andean Puna, based on actualistic studies and ecological information, are used to assess the incidence of these agents at two of the most significant early archaeological sites in the area: Inca Cueva- cueva 4 (layer 2) and Quebrada Seca 3 (layer 2b14). Since the traces of local carnivores –which are mostly small ones- can be very faint and are potentially ambiguous, multiple lines of evidence are compared. They suggest that carnivores were involved in the formation of the archaeological faunal assemblages in only an unsubstantial way. These assemblages therefore may be confidently used for inferences on the early human populations in the region, such as their relatively wide food niche, and also allow some insight into the past carnivore community and the insertion of humans in the local predatory guild, one in which carnivores have not been effective competitors.