Ancient woods used in a ritual context at Chenque I cemetery (Pampean region, Argentina)

ARCHILA SONIA; MEJÍA MARTHA; MA. GABRIELA MUSAUBACH; MONICA ALEJANDRA BERON; LUCERO ELIANA

Otro; 82avo. Annual Meeting de la Sociedad de Arqueología Americana (SAA); 2017

Society for American Archaeology

Empirical evidence of ancient ritual practicesis not often found in many archaeological sites. This complex ideologicalaspect of past human societies has usually been reported in association withthe presence of monuments such as sculptures, tombs, funeral mounds, templesand shrines and also with particular artefacts used during ceremonies andrituals such as ceramic, stone or metal vessels, musical instruments and so on.Archaeobotanical evidence could contribute enormously to the study of ritualpractices particularly in contexts where ritual practices involved many otherdifferent paraphernalia including plants, animals, minerals and artefacts madeof perishable materials such as wood and fibers. Identification of plantremains in itself constitutes a source of information about cultural choices.Chenque I site is a cemetery, which includes several human burials and was usedbetween 1050 and 290 BP by hunter-gatherers groups inhabiting western Pampeanregion in Argentina. We studied and identify charcoals from burial structure 28in which funerary practices such as burning of human remains have beenrecorded.