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The objectives of this work are to present a set of methodological procedures to analyse commingled bone assemblages (e.g. secondary burials), in order to build the mortality profile of the Paso Alsina 1 site and discuss the obtained age at death distribution in a context of hunter-gatherer populations that inhabited the eastern Pampa-Patagonia transition (Argentina) during the Final Late Holocene. The Paso Alsina 1 site is a formal disposal area of inhumations composed by multiple secondary burials dated at ca. 500 14C years BP. The site is comprised of a minimum number of 77 individuals, represented by both sexes and all age categories. The mortality profile is characterized by a bimodal pattern with a peak of greater representation of individuals younger than 3 years and another comprising the range between 20 and 34.9 years old. These results are discussed in relation to the paleopathological information available for the site, indicating that individuals suffered mainly disruptions in growth and development by systemic stress. The mortality profile obtained suggests that this skeletal series would not have formed as a result of a catastrophic event. On the contrary, it is an atricionalmortality profile, consisting of individuals who died at different times and places and for varied reasons. Later, skeletal remains were grouped into secondary bundles and simultaneously buried at the site. Bodymanipulation and secondary burials are common in the context of a social reorganization that occurred in the area and in neighbouring regions during the Final Late Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several archaeological researches in northeastern Patagonia and southeastern Pampas have evaluated various indicators of the diets of hunter-gatherers who inhabited these regions during the Late Holocene, including the role of plant foods. Dental analysis is an important way to introduce new information about subsistence. In this sense, the objective of this work is to document and interpret dento-alveolar lesions in an osteological sample recovered from the Paso Alsina 1 archaeological site (eastern Pampean–Patagonian transition, Argentina). This paper will explore the oral health status of individuals and discuss palaeodietary information of hunter-gatherers that inhabited the lower valley of the Colorado River during the final Late Holocene (ca. 500 years BP). The site is defined as a formal area bundle composed of 10 secondary multiple burials containing 56 individuals of both sexes and various ages (e.g., perinatal, infant, and adult). In this study, 781 teeth and 1036 alveoli from 47 maxillae and 38 mandibles were analysed from 51 adult individuals. The results indicate a moderate rate of dental wear, and dental calculus, and low percentages of caries, abscesses, and antemortem tooth loss. The information obtained suggests a diet based on a combination of proteins, fat and carbohydrates. Results are then compared with those from other lines of analysis for the study area and for the neighboring regions (northeastern Patagonia and southeastern Pampas). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT This paper provides a detailed analysis of thorn lesions found in lower limb elements of a modern osteological collection of guanaco ( Lama guanicoe). Four types of lesions were recorded: (1) thorns visible on the bone surface, (2) bony reaction with relief, (3) small negative scars and (4) medium negative scars. The methods used to recognise, record and quantify these lesions are presented. As a result, 35 of the 36 individuals analyzed contained one or more types of lesions. The highest concentrations of lesions were recorded on the anterior view of the metacarpal shafts. All the age ranges were affected by lesions; however, individuals between the ages of 1 and 3 years were the most affected, whereas those between the ages of 0 and 1 year contained the least amount of lesions. To provide examples of how thorn lesions can be identified and used as a paleoenvironmental proxy in the fossil record, we analyzed two archaeological sites from different phytogeographic provinces: Bajo de la Quinta (Monte phytogeographic province) and Calera (Pampa phytogeographic province). Results found that 25% of the elements from the Bajo de la Quinta site contained lesions, whereas none of the elements from the Calera site showed evidence of lesions. When detectable in the fossil record, thorn lesions can provide an indirect approximation of the paleoenvironment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]