Taphonomy and Late Holocene paleoenvironments from Epullán Chica ́s zooarchaeological record (North-western Patagonia, Argentina)

MANGE, EMILIANO; FERNÁNDEZ, FERNANDO; CORDERO, JOSÉ AGUSTÍN; TETA, PABLO; PARDIÑAS, ULYSES; CRIVELLI MONTERO, EDUARDO A

San Rafael, Mendoza

Congreso; 12 th International Conference of Archaeozoology; 2014

International Council of Archaeozoology

Faunistic assemblages of the Epullán Chica cave archaeological site (40º23?10??S, 70º11?44??W, 680 m.a.s.l., North-western Patagonia, Argentina) are studied from taphonomic and paleoenvironmental points of view. The site is located in Monte - Patagonian Ecotone near to Occidental District of the Patagonian unit, in the upper Limay River basin and presents a Late Holocene chronology (2.2 ky 14C BP-20th century). The species (mainly micromammals) recorded at Epullán Chica show a great stability across the sequence, and point out that the development of open area with herbaceous steppe environments, related to bodies of water and large rocky outcrops, remained basically unchanged during the last 2.2 ky BP.