IDENTIFICATION OF CULINARY PRACTICES IN SOUTHERN ANDES USING ARCHEOBOTANICAL TECHNIQUES

PETRUCCI, NATALIA; POCHETTINO, MARI­A LELIA

Recife

Congreso; VII International COngress of Ethnobotany; 2019

International Congress of Ethnobotany (ICEB)

In the Old World, archaeobotanists as Hillman and Jones, developed interpretative models about cereal processing using ethnographicl and ethnobotanical sources. Thus it was possible to understand past practices of preparation and consumption of those grains from their archaeobotanical remains. In the case of Northwestern Argentina (NWA) ethnobotanical studies ?along with others of ethnohistorical or historical nature ? allowed to approach theanalysis of archaeobotanical remanins trying to identify material marks of human behavior eferred to culinary preparations in which plants or their parts were used. This could be understanded as an Ethnobotany of ethnoarchaeological projection. In this framework, the objective of this contribution is to show processing techniques identified in remains recovered in three sites o Yocavil Valley (Catamarca, Argentina): Soria 2, Rincón Chico 1 and 15, which have different chronology (from the Early to the Late Period). We analyzed remainsof Zea mays L., Chenopodium spp. and Prosopis spp. using indicators of echniques developed by different authors as well as experimental essays of boiling and carbonization of reference material. External morpho-anatomy of remains evidenced fissures in the endocarp of several examples of Prosopis (possibly as a result of grinding) while others showed bright portions of mesocarp (as an indicator of soaking and heat). 70% of Chenopodium spp. remains lacked of pericarp showing dehulling. Archaeobotanical remains of Zea mays were also deprived of pericarp and the analysis of starch grains showed heat exposition, possible as a result of boiling in alkaline liquid (?lejía?). It can be concluded, on the one hand, that culinary tradition showed a long continuity in the area as both taxa and practices are similar in the time span considered. On the other hand, it is evidenced the importance of studies that integrate thecontribution of diverse disciplines.