Long-Term Interaction between Hunter-Gatherer-Fisher Societies and Marine Resources in the Southern Tip of South America Applications of Stable Isotopes in Zooarchaeology

ZANGRANDO, A. F.; KOCHI, S.; NYE, J. W.; TESSONE, A.; RICCIALDELLI, L.; TIVOLI, A. M.; MARTINOLI, M.P.; PÉREZ, S.A.; FOGEL, M.

Isotope Research in Zooarchaeology: Methods, Applications, and Advances

University Press of Florida

Año: 2022; p. 1 - 29

In this chapter, we provide a long-term perspective on the interaction between hunter-gatherer-fisher societies and marine resources in the southern tip of South America through the application of stable isotope ecology. Given the complexities of discussions and methodological paths, we present the information in three different cases. The emphasis is both on their complementary nature to archaeofaunal studies, as well as an independent line of inquiry about patterns of human subsistence over time. We begin by describing the modern and past environment of Tierra del Fuego and the ecological niche of fauna, in order to formulate spatial patterns of stable isotopes distributions through the food web (Newsome et al. 2007). This model is based on the general spatial gradient of δ13C values in inshore-offshore habitats (France 1995; Koch 2007). In the first archaeological case, we evaluate if Otariid populations changed their foraging behavior in response to human predation through the Holocene (Nye 2019; Zangrando et al. 2014). The second case compares the isotopic values of different fish taxa to assess the use of offshore patch during the late Holocene and the increased labor investment in human fishing activities (Zangrando et al. 2016). Finally, we present a local isotopic ecology for both marine and terrestrial environments as a paleoecological frame of reference (Kochi et al. 2018). Our ultimate objective is to understand the causal factors that led to a diversified diet of prehistoric human remains that date to the late Holocene. The whole picture demonstrates a more complex scenario of the marine food web, particularly with respect to the trophic relations between taxonomical groups, and it also highlights the limitations in paleodietary reconstructions.