Inferencias paleodietarias a partir del análisis de los patrones de desgaste dental y frecuencias de caries en muestras de restos humanos del Holoceno del Sudeste de la Región Pampeana

L'HEUREUX, G. L.

Del mar a los salitrales. Diez mil años de Historia Pampeana en el Umbral del Tercer Milenio

Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata y Sociedad Argentina de Antropología

Lugar: Mar del Plata; Año: 2002; p. 127 - 140

This paper is aimed to the discussion of the chronological variation in diet composition among prehispanic human populations from the Sotheastern Pampean Region. Given our current ignorance about the relative contribution of vegetal food staples to the whole diet of these populations, an analysis of dental macroware and caries prevalence was carried out. The analyzed sample was composed by cranial remains of 44 male and female individuals of different age groups belonging to three main periods: early/middle Holocene transition (ca. 8,000 - 6,300 BP), early late Holocene  (ca. 3,000 - 2,000 BP), and late Holocene (ca. 1,000 - 400 BP). The results show that the latter subsample has a significantly higher prevalence of dental caries and a reduced rate of dental macrowear relative to the other two subsamples, which is compatible with a diet that incorporated a higher proportion of starchy and relatively softy foods.