An approach to prehispanic diets in the pampas during early/middle Holocene

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to dietary studies of Early-Middle Holocene Pampean hunter-gatherers, and to evaluate the intra-group dietary differences. Results from stable carbon isotope analysis of the organic and inorganic fractions of bone from 26 human remains from the sites Arroyo Seco 2 (Interserrana area) and Monte Hermoso 1 (Atlantic coast) are presented and discussed. Isotopic values from archaeofauna – including megafauna and current fauna – are also reported. d13CCOL isotopic values on human remains from these sites suggest the existence of different diets in Early-Middle Holocene groups, including individuals consuming mainly marine resources, individuals with a terrestrial diet based on C3 plants and/ or the intake of C3-consuming herbivores, and finally, individuals with a mixed diet. d13CCOL data from human remains are consistent with the isotopic results obtained for the most abundant faunal remains at the sites (guanaco, Pampean deer, and seal). Apatite analysis was carried out on 22 individuals from AS2. The apatite results suggest C4 plants or marine food consumption or a combination of both.