Puna Herders: Pastoralism and Hunting in the the Argentine Puna (ca. 1500 a 200 years BP)

URQUIZA, SILVANA; GRANT, JENNIFER

San Rafael, Mendoza

Congreso; 12° International Conference of Zooarchaeology (ICAZ); 2014

Museo de Historial Natural de San Rafael. ICAZ

Based on an analysis of the faunal record, we address animal management between ca. 1500 and 200 year BP in three different altitudinal sectors in Antofagasta de la Sierra (Southern Argentine Puna) micro-region: Valley Basin (3.400 to 3.550 masl), Intermediate Sector (3.550 to 3.800 masl) and High Altitude Ravines (3.800 to 4.600 masl). Across the whole agro-pastoralist sequence we observe a mixed economy of camelid pastoralism (Lama glama) combined with the hunting of camelids, rodents and aquatic birds. In this context, we note that hunting does not seem to diminish during the later cultural history (Late Period) of the region. Rather, it continues to form an important component of the economy. This is in marked contrast to other areas of Northwest Argentina, raising important questions that underpin this presentation. Likewise, a common characteristic of Late Period through to the Spanish colonial societies, is the movement of goods, products and information between the sectors analyzed here as well as with areas of the Calchaqui Valleys. The contextual integration of the analyzed material data and site location allows us to infer the social practice of hunting and herding underlining a marked mobility between these three altitudinal sectors.