Hunter gatherer archaeobotany of a mortuary patagonian cave (Cueva Galpón, Argentina): artefactual, carpological, anthracological and other plant macroremains from ca. 3300 BP. 17° International

CAPPARELLI, A.; CIAMPAGNA, L.; MANGE, E.; PRATES, L.

Paris

Workshop; 17° International Work Group for Palaeoethnoligy; 2016

This paperanalyzes the archaeobotanical record (macroremains and manufactured elements)of Cueva Galpón, a hunter gatherer site located in the mountains of Paileman(Río Negro Province, Argentina). The site consists of a cave 50 m wide and 8 maverage depth, in which three explorative transects were carried out and twosectors of 3m2 each were excavated in artificial levels of 5 cm to50 cm deep. The archaeological materials (faunistic, lithic and botanical) wererecovered both manually and by fine sieving. At least two mortuary contextswere identified. The first presented charred human remains associated to othermaterials that allow supposing is near to the Spanish conquest of theterritory. The second was dated by radiocarbon in 3314± 51 and 3264±38 years BP. The latter was delimited at the topby two layers of a mat whose warp was made from stems of Piptochaetium sp. (flechilla negra) and the weft from stems ofCyperaceae/ Juncaceae. These structures were tied to sticks of Larrea cuneifolia (jarilla) by braids ofleather or animal sinew. Large amounts of dispersed tufts of at least two grassspecies were also found probably representing a kind of "bed"structures. Associated with this context a partially carbonized artifact madeon Chusquea sp. (colihue cane),possibly an intermediary, was found. Nine fragments of different types of strings (lax and compact) were alsorecovered. As well as a total of 1925 macroremains, both dry and charred, whichshow great diversity both anatomical (woody stems of different diameters,leaves, bark, fruits, inflorescences, rhizomes) and taxonomic. The mostabundant correspond to dry endocarps of Condaliasp. (piquillín) and Prosopis sp.(algarrobo), and aff. Grindelia sp.flowers. These materials represent at least three different anthropogenicsources: grass beds (strings, grass and sticks), fuel (charcoals, partiallyburned branches) and food consumption (Prosopisspp., and Condalia sp. fruits), linked by a ritual important component represented by the funerarycontexts. From a phytogeographycal point of view, and except for Chusquea sp. of Andean-Patagonianorigin, the genera identified correspond mainly with the province of the Monte(Prosopis, Condalia, Larrea) and to a lesser extent, of the Patagonian (aff. Nassauvia) and are available near thesite. The finding of a seaweed specimen links population that inhabited thesite with the sea coast. Flowers recovered suggest a spring / summer seasonaloccupation.