Past Human-Huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) Interactions in Patagonia (Southern South America): A Zooarchaeological Perspective

BELARDI, JUAN BAUTISTA; FERNÁNDEZ, PABLO MARCELO; CRUZ, ISABEL; DE NIGRIS, MARIANA; MUÑOZ, ANDRÉS SEBASTIÁN

Austin, Texas

Congreso; 79th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology; 2014

Society for American Archaeology

Huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) archaeological evidence in Patagonia has been discussed at the local level so far. In this poster, published archaeological data from across the region are assembled in order to evaluate possible longitudinal and latitudinal fluctuations in the past distribution of this endemic Patagonian cervid. We aim at contributing to the natural history of the species, classified as endangered by IUCN, as well as understanding its interactions with human hunter-gatherers through time. The archaeological deposits considered are currently located almost exclusively in the Andean forest, the forest-steppe ecotone, and the SW coast of southern continental Patagonia. Regional archaeological data display a low frequency of huemul remains through time. Even though huemul was available from the beginning of human occupation in the region, it was rarely included as a prey item until the Middle Holocene (around 6000 years B.P.), and it becomes significantly more abundant in the Late Holocene, particularly in southern Patagonia. Based on this pattern, it follows that huemul bone occurrence in archaeological contexts roughly resembles the species present distribution. Hence, hunter-gatherer predation had little or no influence on the distribution of huemul east and west of the Andes.