An paleoecological approach to the Archaeology of southern Mendoza

NEME, G., V. DURÁN, V. CORTEGOZO, S. DIEGUEZ, M. GIARDINA, C. DE FRANCESCO, C. LLANO, A. GUERCI Y A. GIL

Malargue

Congreso; Primer Congreso Científico del ICES; 2006

ICES (International Center for Earth Sciences)

The archaeology of Mendoza did not omitted the ecological component in the past[3-5] but it was masked by a nature-culture dichotomy. In fact, the different theoretical backgrounds of paleoecological and archaeological studies avoided an explanatory integration of both approaches. The predominant historic-cultural emphasis mainly focused on the reconstruction of typological sequences and possible population “routes” as well as on ideas rather than in the understanding of human strategies. Therefore, the environment was simply a scenario where human populations acted. However, human ecology offers an opportunity for integration since the nucleus of the programme integrates the components from a systemic or evolutionary approach. Here, archaeological remains are analysed as an additional proxy record with the same value as other proxies usually employed in paleoenvironmental reconstructions.[3-5] but it was masked by a nature-culture dichotomy. In fact, the different theoretical backgrounds of paleoecological and archaeological studies avoided an explanatory integration of both approaches. The predominant historic-cultural emphasis mainly focused on the reconstruction of typological sequences and possible population “routes” as well as on ideas rather than in the understanding of human strategies. Therefore, the environment was simply a scenario where human populations acted. However, human ecology offers an opportunity for integration since the nucleus of the programme integrates the components from a systemic or evolutionary approach. Here, archaeological remains are analysed as an additional proxy record with the same value as other proxies usually employed in paleoenvironmental reconstructions.  The aim of the present work is to report preliminary results obtained from an ongoing pilot study in southern Mendoza (Figure 1) focused on the understanding of human occupation in relation to past environmental evolution. First, information on the environmental setting and expected human strategies is discussed. Second, aspects of human biogeography are assessed. To do that, an emphasis in the mode as the region was explored, colonised and occupied and how the environmental characteristics would have been related to those processes, is given. In addition, ongoing pilot studies on paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the area are presented. These multidisciplinary studies include several disciplines such as stratigraphy, sedimentology, palynology and malacology.