Spatial tendencies and taphonomy: reviewing the intensification hypothesis in the Argentinean central west

ADOLFO F. GIL; GUSTAVO A. NEME; CLARA OTAOLA

París

Congreso; 11 th ICAZ; 2010

Muséum National d´Histoire Naturelle

During the last decade the zooarchaeological information in the Argentinean central west was focused in the explanation of the temporal trends about human use of the faunal resources. Applying optimal foraging theory (Diet Breadth Model), archaeologists proposed an intensification process related to the incorporation of small preys into the diet. However, taphonomic research in order to assess the possibility of the existence of bias had not been developed in the area until present. All the same, the heterogeneous landscape of Argentinean central west, with its mountains, deserts, and volcanic fields, have conditioned the animal distribution and also the bone preservation in the archaeological sites. These variables were not included in the previous discussions about the interpretation of the changes in the archaeofaunal assemblages trough time. In this paper we review the earlier ideas using the actual knowledge about faunal distribution and new taphonomic information. Results show a high correlation between archaeofaunal diversity and the distribution of these sites in the landscapes. This correlation is higher than observed between the faunal assemblages and the diet breadth implication that were supported in the previous papers. On the other side, actualistic taphonomic studies carried out in the area showed that the action of different natural agents and the bad preservation of faunal remains at archaeological sites, makes necessary the consideration of problems related with site formation processes before applying foraging theory.