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Background and aims: In the south of Mendoza (Argentina) there is a biocultural legacy of at least 7000 years old; the result of a process of dialectic co-evolution between the culture and its natural environment. In this area, there are plans to build a hydroelectric megaproject that, if carried out, will rupture the multigenerational connections that the communities have with this biocultural landscape. Our objective is to observe the social constructions, loaded with historicity, with which the "puesteros" of southern Mendoza name and classify the different places that make up the landscape and the plant species. M&M: Information was obtained through participant observation, interviews, and walks. Linguistic ethnobiology was used for data analysis. Results: Our results reveal a connection between the importance of naming each habitat in the landscape and the plant resources found there. Ethno-landscape names derive from their geophysical characteristics, while plants were mentioned according to their habitat, life forms, and the meaning they attach to them. Conclusions: This case study and indicators of cultural significance of the site presented here may be useful in recognizing that, in the Pehuenche Pass, resident families maintain deep cultural, historical, and logistical ties that shape cultural identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vegetal macro-remains recovered at the site Los Conitos (northwestern Mendoza, Argentina) provide evidence of the consumption and management of wild and domestic plant species. Based on these data, the goal of this paper is to improve our understanding of the socio-economic process of gathering and management of plant species during the Late Holocene. The recovery method was dry screening. The chronology is based on eight radiocarbon dates that span the last three thousand years, which are evaluated in conjunction with macro-botanical remains. Of the 207 remains, Prosopis was the most ubiquitous. The excavation levels were grouped into four occupation components. In the oldest, component IV, no vegetal taxa were documented; component III includes the earliest presence of domestic plant remains, squash, and a predominance of wild plant species; component II shows a diversification of the use of plant resources; finally, component I included only wild plants. These data are explored with alternative explanations for the incorporation, replacement, or lasting presence of productive and gathering practices and that may be connected to: abiotic stresses that affect horticultural practices, demographic increase and intensification, and the arrival of migrants with a diversified subsistence base. The principal conclusion allows us to sketch a picture of the implementation of small-scale horticultural systems beginning around 1500 years ago, during which gathering continued to be important to subsistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bow and arrow is a crucial component of Homo sapiens ' material culture. In South America, data on the bow and arrow are widely scattered, which motived this comprehensive compilation of archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic information. For millennia prior to the bow's first appearance, hunters relied on the spearthrower. In the Andes around 1650 BCE (3600 BP), knappers began making much smaller projectile points, but it is unclear whether they were for bows. Later, evidence for bow use is strong and widespread: very small lithic points (∼1 cm wide), preserved bows and arrows, and iconography. This evidence is concentrated in two spans: 1) the Middle Horizon (600–1000 CE or 1350–950 BP) and 2) the Late Intermediate, Inca, and early Colonial Periods, when continental trends in demography and conflict peaked (1200–1620 CE or 750–330 BP). Ethnographers have documented bow-using groups in all ecoregions around the continent. They have shown that the bow is deeply integrated into masculine identities. Finally, the interplay of this information informs a critical review of current issues. We identify promising avenues for future research, for example, how to improve metric comparisons and whether the bow's prevalence derives from continental-scale cultural transmission or independent invention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, optimal foraging theory is used to interpret wild plant collecting behaviors using experimental data and remains recovered from eleven archaeological sites in the Argentine Andes. Using simple techniques believed to approximate those of traditional hunting and gathering societies, I collected and processed twelve plant species endemic to southern Mendoza Province to assess their utility as human food resources. Experimental collection and processing events were timed and total caloric yield weighed against post-encounter handling time to determine each resource's relative rank. In addition, I calculated maximum transport distances to better understand which resources are likely to be recovered in the archaeological record. The results suggest that the distance that must be traveled to reach each plant gathering site determines the whether particular plants will be collected since people should maximize caloric yield relative to both handling costs and transport distance. I conclude by cautioning that optimal foraging theory does not explain all of the variation in hunter-gatherer plant collection, but suggest that the value of the approach lies in its capacity to provide testable hypotheses of foraging behavior and behavioral changes likely to occur under different circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the colonial era, southern Mendoza, Argentina, functioned as a frontier where indigenous and Spanish-speaking people interacted. Contact caused major transformations to indigenous economic, social, and political organization. Archaeological analysis is fundamental to understanding the characteristics of local indigenous populations that rapidly incorporated European products into their diets. Analysis of archaeological remains from the region, therefore, can cast light on important aspects of Spanish-indigenous interactions. The aim of this work is to describe the archaeobotanical record of Cueva de Luna--located in the Rio Grande Valley and containing occupations dated between ca. 3800 B.P. and European contact--and to understand how plants were exploited by the inhabitants of southern Mendoza. Preliminary analysis of the archaeobotanical record, consisting primarily of seeds and woody endocarps in a dry state of preservation, indicates the use of native wild taxa, among which algarrobo (Prosopis sp.), molle (Schinus polygamus), solupe (Ephedra), and jarilla (Larrea nitida) abound. American cultivars including beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are also present. Significantly, the record includes Eurasian taxa, including wheat (Triticum sp.) and walnut tree (Juglans sp.). The Cueva de Luna record is important in this regard for it may correspond to the nineteenth century, when the area was inhabited by what may have been the last indigenous Pehuenche group preceding the current ranchers. Our results provide a basis for future work related to change and continuity in the prehistoric use of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last several years, information from stable isotopes has been used to discuss the role of maize agriculture in prehistoric economies of southern Mendoza. Because maize is one of several sources of 13C enriched carbon, a full evaluation of prehistoric diets requires data on a range of potential C4 and C4 plant resources. In this paper, we present stable isotope data (N = 89) for a suite of five previously unstudied edible cacti possessing a Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthetic pathway. Our results show that these plants have δ13C values overlapping C4 photosynthesizers such as maize. In order to understand their potential economic importance, we present additional procurement, processing, and nutritional data from actualistic experiments and the published literature. Using these data, we show why low levels of CAM plant consumption should be expected and how doing so may mimic a pattern of isotopically mixed diets often attributed to maize use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carpological records of edible plant resources exploited within the last 4000 years were recovered from various archaeological sites located in different environmental zones, in southern Mendoza, Argentina. This analysis was performed considering the local environmental heterogeneity and the Optimal Foraging Theory, to determine whether the records are consistent with a model of resource intensification proposed for southern Mendoza from the study of lithic matherials and archaeofauna. The archeological material was recovered by the technique of flotation and sieve which allowed to apply different quantitative analysis in order to evaluate inter- and intra-site variability. Both spatial and temporal variations in the use of these plant resources were detected. Plant resources were used for different purposes other than those strictly related to diet. This study allowed to contextualize the archaeobotanical information, to discuss previous ideas regarding the intensification processes in the region, and to explore new lines of evidence in central and western Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between nature and culture is conceived as a dialogue, not as a dichotomy. Sociocultural and ecological systems are linked, in which language encodes the foundations of collective knowledge in a way that is often untranslatable but inextricably links its speakers to their landscape and each other. We describe the social practices and ethnotaxonomic knowledge of traditional people living in the semi-arid south of Mendoza, Argentina (locally called puesteros) in order to understand their adaptations and resilience strategies and clarify the fundamental link between past and present traditional land use practices and cultural identity. We detail the dynamics that link inhabitants and the biophysical environment, partly because this community is threatened with exile by a large hydroelectric project. If it is built, it would significantly alter the biocultural ecosystem and reduce the cultural heritage of the puesteros. This case study combines participant observation and 12 in-depth interviews. The results show knowledge of 39 plant speciesused as construction, firewood, medicine, and toxins. The community shows a close attachment to this place, past and present, in terms of identity, cultural practices, and local knowledge of biodiversity and geographic features. Given the interaction between puesteros and the landscape, we refer to the place and interactions as an ecocultural keystone landscape. This deserves particular consideration in the face of large construction projects. • Social practices of the inhabitants of the semiarid zone of southern Argentina. • We used ethnotaxonomic knowledge of traditional puesteros. • Makes visible the link between traditional land use practices and cultural identity. • This community is threatened with exile by the construction of a dam. • This area should be a cultural keystone place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reconstruct the Holocene vegetation, climate, and archaeological history for drylands of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, based on multiproxy analysis (plant macrofossil, pollen, and parasites) of rodent middens integrated with a database of 14C dates associated with human occupations. The local scale corresponds to the Huenul paleoecological and archaeological locality, emplaced in north-western Patagonia (Neuquén Province, Argentina). The rodent midden record from the Huenul series reflects subtle vegetation changes driven by climatic variability at millennial timescale. Drier than present environmental conditions prevailed during the early Holocene (10,500–9400 cal yr BP), peaking during the mid-Holocene (9200–5500 cal yr BP), when wetter than present conditions established during the late Holocene (4400–2500 cal yr BP). These environmental and climatic dynamics agree with other paleoclimatic records from northern Patagonia, suggesting the winter precipitation dynamics related to the Southern Westerlies as a common driver. The diachronic distribution of anthropogenic radiocarbon dates from the western area of the South American Arid Diagonal between 32°–40°S conforms to a fitted exponential model of steady background population growth, not suggesting significant demographic changes that may have been the result of the impact of climate change. This record indicates that these human populations coped successfully with aridity, particularly during the mid-Holocene. These findings reinforce the need to integrate multi-scalar interdisciplinary analyses to assess the impact of climate change in human societies. • The SAAD (36°S) underwent environmental changes driven by precipitation variability. • Dry conditions prevailed during the early Holocene peaking at the mid Holocene. • Rodent and human occupancies were mutually exclusive in alternating discrete phases. • The fluctuations in the observed SPD could not be attributed to any demographic event. • Significant regional demographic changes may not have been a result of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sloths and ground sloths (Xenarthra: Tardigrada) are among the most conspicuous mammals in the Cenozoic faunas of South America. During the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene, all the megafaunal xenarthrans became extinct. While much attention has been paid to understanding the causes of megafauna extinction, less attention has been given to understanding the impacts of the loss of the megafauna on other organisms with whom they interacted. Paleoparasitology offers the opportunity to look back into the past and observe directly how parasites responded to environmental change and host decline events. The present work is the first paleoparasitological study on megaherbivores dung from the archaeological site Cueva Huenul 1 (northwestern Patagonia, Argentina). Twenty one dung samples were examined for parasites. Samples were processed by rehydration in a 0.5% water solution of trissodium phosphate, followed by homogenization, filtered and processed by spontaneous sedimentation. Additionally, microhistological analyses of three samples were made. The dung samples were identified as belonging to a ground sloth. Ground sloths from northwestern Patagonia were infected by the nematodes Trichostrongylus sp., Nematodirus sp., at least three Strongylida-type species, Trichuris sp., one ascaridid and one unidentified nematode. Also, the results indicated that the diet was mainly based on shrub species (Schinus johnstonii , Prosopis sp., Berberis empetrifolia , Ephedra chilense and Retanilla patagonica), typical of the Monte vegetation. Also, the cacti Maihuenia and the grasses Festuca kurtziana , Hordeum comosum , Stipa speciosa and Poa sp. (Family Poaceae) were found but in less frequency. The host-parasite-environment interactions, the potential parasitic diseases and ecological consequences of the ground sloth extinction are discussed. This study shows the potential of paleoparasitological studies of ancient feces to contribute to the understanding of the evolutionary histories of parasites and hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of chronostratigraphic analysis and the analysis of ceramic, lithic, archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological material, recovered from a rocky eaves located in the Cordillera Principal, on the trace of the southernmost transversal branch of the Qhapaq Ñan. This eave is located in an area with particular environmental characteristics that made it an obligatory post to ascend to or descend from the Cristo Redentor pass. By articulating the information from the analysis of the archaeological record with contextual information, we have been able to infer the activities that took place in the site, the origin of its occupants and some of the functions that the natural shelters fulfilled in this sector of the Qhapaq Ñan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuestro objetivo es estudiar las estrategias de uso del espacio por parte de sociedades humanas móviles en un paisaje andino de Patagonia caracterizado por una marcada heterogeneidad topográfica, climática y ecológica (localidad de Barrancas-Buta Ranquil, provincia del Neuquén, Argentina). Inicialmente, se analiza la estructura del paisaje desde una perspectiva biogeográfica, desarrollando un modelo de estacionalidad mediante sistemas de información geográfica. Nuestro enfoque distribucional combina una prospección sistemática para caracterizar la estructura espacial del registro en superficie y evidencias que han sido obtenidas bajo otras estrategias de muestreo. Sobre la base de la distribución de artefactos líticos y cerámicos y de motivos rupestres, se evalúan patrones de intensidad ocupacional, diversidad funcional y circulación de información en sectores del espacio con propiedades biogeográficas diferentes. Los resultados sugieren una delimitación funcional del espacio en escala temporal promediada, en la cual los espacios intermedios habrían funcionado como lugares centrales desde donde se articulan movimientos logísticos hacia otros sectores del paisaje. Dado que la unidad de muestreo captura variación biogeográfica que se expresa en forma regional más amplia, el modelo de uso del espacio propuesto es relevante para la comprensión de la arqueología del noroeste de Patagonia en general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The goal of this article is to assess the scale of human paleomobility and ecological complementarity between the lowlands and highlands in the southern Andes during the last 2,300 years. By providing isotope results for human bone and teeth samples, we assess a hypothesis of 'high residential mobility' suggested on the basis of oxygen isotopes from human remains. Methods We develop an isotopic assessment of human mobility in a mountain landscape combining strontium and oxygen isotopes. We analyze bone and teeth samples as an approach to life-history changes in spatial residence. Human samples from the main geological units and periods within the last two millennia are selected. Results We present a framework for the analysis of bioavailable strontium based on the combination of the geological data with isotope results for rodent samples. The 87Sr/86Sr values from human samples indicate residential stability within geological regions along life history. When comparing strontium and oxygen values for the same human samples, we record a divergent pattern: while δ18O values for samples from distant regions overlap widely, there are important differences in 87Sr/86Sr values. Conclusions Despite the large socio-economic changes recorded, 87Sr/86Sr values indicate a persisting scenario of low systematic mobility between the different geological regions. Our results suggest that strontium isotope values provide the most germane means to track patterns of human occupation of distinct regions in complex geological landscapes, offering a much higher spatial resolution than oxygen isotopes in the southern Andes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Test excavations were conducted at Risco de los Indios (RDLI), a site at 2480 masl with 29 residential features and a well-developed midden containing abundant floral, faunal, lithic, and ceramic materials. Analyses indicate the site was intensively usedca. 500cal b.p. as a residential base for groups focused on hunting guanaco, supplemented by locally-available wild flora and fauna as well as domestic beans transported from the lowlands. Ceramic and obsidian artifacts indicate these groups were highly mobile and in contact with groups on the eastern and western margins of the Andes. These patterns compare favorably to those seen in the region’s other high altitude villages. It appears that the development of these patterns began with population increase and economic intensification in the lowlandsca. 2000cal b.p.and that the move to slightly lower elevation settings like RDLI may have been conditioned by the onset of the Little Ice Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports the first paleoparasitological results obtained from coprolites of fossil rodent middens and demonstrates the potential of rodent middens as a source of paleoparasitological evidences in South America. Ten fossil rodent middens from northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, were studied. Five coprolites of each midden were fully processed, rehydrated, homogenized, subjected to spontaneous sedimentation, and examined through light microscopy. Eight of the 10 examined rodent middens contained parasite eggs. The eggs of parasites were assigned to Heteroxynema ( Cavioxyura ) viscaciae Sutton & Hugot, 1989 and Helminthoxys sp. (Nematoda: Oxyuridae), Trichuris sp. (Nematoda: Trichuridae) and one unidentified nematode. Fossil rodent middens were assigned to Lagidium viscacia (Caviomorph: Chinchillidae). The excellent preservation of parasite remains in coprolites from fossil rodent middens provided an opportunity to perform paleoparasitological inferences. The results of this papers demonstrates that fossil rodent middens offer an excellent opportunity for the recovery of parasite remains for future paleoparasitological studies in the southwest of South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to discuss recent methodological advances in Argentinean archaeobotany that incorporate the use of ethnobotany as an ethnoarchaeological tool for interpreting ancient food systems in South America. This is an integrative paper that takes into account both published and unpublished results. The role of ethnobotany is examined with reference to ethnobotanical and experimental food processing studies on Prosopis, a wild food plant, and two cultivated ones Chenopodium quinoa and Cucurbita spp., followed by laboratory examinations with microscopy to identify diagnostic changes in plant morphology and anatomy. Experimental materials are then compared with archaeological specimens to identify different types of ancient food processing, and to make inferences about prehistoric post-harvest systems. We demonstrated that: (a) it was critical for our food processing studies to achieve the best taxonomical identification resolution that the plant remains allow; (b) a multi- proxy approach was highly advantageous; (c) ethnobotanical data were crucial to identify food processing pathways of individual plants and combinations of them; (d) the understanding of commensality in the wider sense of the term allows us to determine food patterns both in domestic and funerary contexts. These investigations, the first ones of this type in Argentina, constitute a qualitative step in the methodology for this country because they expand our abilities to interpret the nature of routine plant processing from archaeobotanical assemblages, and they are also a substantial contribution to the development of our discipline in general because the taxa discussed in this paper are distributed throughout South America, as well as in other parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present isotopic and morphometric evidence suggesting the migration of farmers in the southern Andes in the period AD 1270–1420, leading up to the Inka conquest occurring ~ AD 1400. This is based on the interdisciplinary study of human remains from archaeological cemeteries in the Andean Uspallata Valley (Argentina), located in the southern frontier of the Inka Empire. The studied samples span AD 800–1500, encompassing the highly dynamic Late Intermediate Period and culminating with the imperial expansion. Our research combines a macro-regional study of human paleomobility and migration based on a new strontium isoscape across the Andes that allows identifying locals and migrants, a geometric morphometric analysis of cranio-facial morphology suggesting separate ancestral lineages, and a paleodietary reconstruction based on stable isotopes showing that the migrants had diets exceptionally high in C4 plants and largely based on maize agriculture. Significantly, this migration influx occurred during a period of regional demographic increase and would have been part of a widespread period of change in settlement patterns and population movements that preceded the Inka expansion. These processes increased local social diversity and may have been subsequently utilized by the Inka to channel interaction with the local societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]