Human strategies, stability and change in the South American agricultural frontier Estrategias humanas, estabilidad y cambio en la frontera agrícola sur americana

MENÉNDEZ, LUMILA P.; NEME, GUSTAVO A.; ATENCIO, JUAN P.; UGAN, ANDREW; GIL, ADOLFO F.; PERALTA, EVA A.

Latin American Antiquity

Cambridge University Press

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2018 vol. 29 p. 6 - 26

1045-6635

In this paper, we assess the impact of the introduction of cultigens on human organization and the resultant degree of dependence on food production and domesticated plants in central western Argentina. The study compares three sites with human skeletal remains (Jaime Prats-1, Rincón del Atuel-1, Cañada Seca-1) separated by a maximum distance of 40 km and located in the southernmost region of Andean prehispanic agriculture. The sites have regional temporal occupation continuity dating back to 1900 (300 years after introduction of domesticated plants) to 1400 years BP. Data from stable isotopes ( 13 C, 15 N, 18 O), and cranial, mandibular, and dental morphometry are compared, along with archaeological information. Jaime Prats-1 and Cañada Seca-1 exhibit isotopic and morphologic similarities, despite not being chronologically contemporaneous. At the same time, these two sites have differences with Rincón del Atuel-1, temporally placed among them. Our results point to a greater importance of maize (although its dietary contribution is less than 30%) and lower residential mobility in Rincón del Atuel-1. Human systems that occupied the agricultural frontier during the first 500 years since the introduction of domesticated plants show high variability in their organizations, with agriculture playing a minor role in sustenance.