Understanding inhabited landscapes from remains of Fabaceae tree fruit used by agro-pastoralist societies in the high deserts of the south-central Andes, Argentina, between 1,600 and 1,000 bp

Abstract

In this article we discuss the historical landscapes of agro-pastoralist societies that inhabited the Puna high elevation desert of northwest Argentina from 1,600 to 1,000 bp, based on our research on exceptionally well preserved macro-remain assemblages from Alero 1, a small rock shelter within the Punta de la Peña 9 archaeological site, Antofagasta de la Sierra. A deposit of plant remains was found there, dated between 1,507 and 1,176 cal bp, primarily consisting of Neltuma spp. (Fabaceae, Caesalpinioideae) and Geoffroea decorticans (Fabaceae, Faboideae) fruit and pod remains. The homogeneity and concentration of the remains at approximately 2,700 per L of sediment in this deposit, along with its date range, represent continuing family ceremonies at the site, in which food and fermented beverages were shared, made from pods and fruits which had been brought from the Monte region where they grew. Based on these findings, we propose the existence of a periodic and recurrent movement of people, probably facilitated by family social networks, between the high Puna desert and the mid-altitude valleys about 100 km away where Monte woods grew, and Neltuma (algarrobo) and Geoffroea (chañar) pods and fruits could be gathered for these ceremonial practices.