Taphonomic Research in Central Western Argentina: Contemporary Problems and Perspectives

CLARA OTAOLA; MERCEDES CORBAT; FERNANDO J. FERNÁNDEZ; MIGUEL GIARDINA

San Rafael

Congreso; 12th Conferencia ICAZ (International Council for Archaeozoology); 2014

Zooarchaeological research directed toward taphonomic questions in Central Western Argentina was initiated in the 1990s and focused on remains of large mammals. Since then taphonomic research has expanded to include remains of fish, birds, reptiles, and a broader size range of mammals. Taphonomic investigations of remains of each taxonomic group have focused on common problems, such as elucidating the natural or cultural origin of faunal remains found in archaeological sites. However, in some cases, the questions involved have been related to specific problems unique to each of the taxonomic groups. This paper provides a review of taphonomic research in southern Mendoza to highlight the kind of problems that zooarchaeologists face and to portray new questions that emerge from these studies. We propose a regional taphonomic approach for consideration of previous archaeological surveys in the area that incorporates the particular taphonomic characteristics of each taxonomic group.