The role of hog-nosed skunk in the subsistence of hunter-gatherers of the Pampean region of Argentina

ALVAREZ, M. C.; GUTIERREZ, M A.; KAUFMANN, C. A.

Austin, Texas

Congreso; SAA 79th annual meeting; 2014

Society for American Archaeology

Hog-nosed skunks (Conepatus chinga) are America´s native carnivores with crepuscular and solitary behavior. They are notorious for their anal scent glands, which serve with a defensive purpose. Although skunk´s bones are not very frequent in archaeological sites, its degree of interaction with pampean hunter-gatherers has not been discussed in detail. The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the evidence of this species in Paso Otero 4 (PO4, pampean region of Argentina) and to evaluate its presence at a regional scale in order to discuss the role of the skunk in the past. Moreover, information from chronicles and historical documents were compiled to generate hypothesis about the potential use given to this resource during the Holocene. In PO4, 13 hog-nosed skunk specimens were recovered and dated between ca. 8900 to 4600 years BP. Cut marks, thermal alteration, and tooth marks in these remains were identified. A detailed evaluation of tooth marks was conducted and double arch punctures and crescent-shaped pits which are characteristics of human chewing were recognized. The results allow us to propose that this animal was an occasional prey for hunter-gatherers, but it was more common in the local faunistic repertoire than previously believed.