Transitional Spaces in the Argentinean Middle-west: Late Societies of Valle Fértil, San Juan (A.D. 300-1500).

PABLO CAHIZA, MARÍA JOSÉ OTS, JUAN PABLO AGUILAR, JORGE GARCÍA

Berkeley, San Francisco

Encuentro; 51º Annual Meeting Institute of Andean Studies; 2011

Andean Institute

Valle Fértil is located in the eastern sector of Argentina's San Juan province, in the southern Andean region. Anthropological approaches to understanding the socioeconomic contours of the ancient communities in this region have been largely influenced by typological categories, and in particular, “the Formative”. This paper presents the preliminary results of recent analyses of spatial data, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of bone and tooth collagen (both human and animal), archaeofaunal and ceramics. These analyses suggest that the ancient communities of Valle Fértil, did in fact have a “low-level food production” economy.