Integrated study of archaeological and paleolimnological indicators in Late Holocene records: Laguna Mar Chiquita (Córdoba, Argentina)

Abstract

We present an integrated analysis of multiple archaeological and paleolimnological indicators to obtain a holistic view of environmental conditions and cultural practices during different periods of the late Holocene (540 – 2540 cal. BP) at two archaeological sites on the southern shore of Laguna Mar Chiquita (Córdoba, Argentina). The research focuses on the identification of diatoms retained in the human dental calculus of four individuals, as well as the paleoclimatic interpretation based on a multiproxy analysis from the paleolimnological record of Mar Chiquita. These indicators allowed us to understand the variations in the water level of the lagoon during different climatic periods that affected the region at specific time windows. The results obtained highlight the presence of a significant diversity of benthic diatom species, some from saline water and others from freshwater saline water. In turn, identification of epiphytic species in dental calculus suggests a possible use of the oral apparatus in activities that go beyond chewing or grinding food with the teeth. Similarly, the presence of benthic and periphytic species could be explained by their adhesion to fruits, tubers, or artefacts made with clay. These findings are consistent with the paleoclimatic reconstruction based on multiple indicators extracted from the paleolimnological record. The integration of these lines of research was crucial for obtaining a more complete picture of the human societies and natural environments that coexisted in this historical context. The results underscore the importance of the interdisciplinarity approach in scientific research in achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the past and the complex interactions between human communities and the environment. Our findings also offer valuable information on how climatic and environmental conditions influenced the lives of the communities that inhabited the lake during the late Holocene.