Zooarchaeological study in the Laguna Cabeza de Buey 2 site (center of the Pampas grassland, Buenos Aires, Argentina).

NAHUEL SCHEIFLER; PABLO G. MESSINEO

San Rafael

Congreso; 12th International Conference of Archaeozoology; 2014

The purpose of this work is to present a detailed zooarchaeological study conducted on the bone assemblage from the Laguna Cabeza de Buey 2 site, located on the margins of a small lagoon in the center of the Pampas grassland (province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). Taxonomic structure, taphonomic and site formation processes for different occupation events are described and discussed. Three sedimentary deposits were recognized. In the lower deposit a contextual association between extinct megafauna (Toxodon sp.), medium size animals (Lama guanicoe) and lithic artifacts is recorded. In the middle deposit (ca. 4150 years AP) a predominance of Lama guanicoe and some smaller sized taxa (e.g., Ozotoceros bezoarticus, Tolypeutes matacus) are identified. Finally, for the upper deposit, both medium and small taxa were found in association with ceramic and stone artifacts, while in the top levels, modern domestic faunal remains (Equus caballus) were identified with this material. The taphonomic study allowed for identifying evidence of human processing (i.e., cut marks, anthropic fractures, and burned bones) in specimens of Lama guanicoe recovered from the different occupation events, as well as remains of small animals in the upper levels. Also, the presence of a large amount of rodent burrows suggests that the bioturbation was one of the most important post-depositacional formation processes.