Late Holocene Human Subsistence and Environmental Conditions Through the Analysis of Micromammal Remains. Southern Pampean Hills, Central Argentina

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of a micromammal assemblage from the Parque Natural Ongamira 5 site, located in the northern sector of the Southern Pampean Hills (Córdoba, Argentina), to explore paleoenvironmental, taphonomic, and human subsistence strategies during a human occupation dated to ∼2000 BP. The taxonomic composition reflects a mosaic landscape of grasslands, bare soils, rocky areas, and freshwater environments, extending the temporal scope of previously documented paleoecological conditions in the valley. Taphonomic analysis, while noting the influence of post-depositional processes, identified evidence of a mixed-predator accumulation. Diagnostic modifications – including digestive corrosion, cut marks, and thermal alteration – collectively point to nocturnal birds of prey and humans as the main agents involved in the formation of the assemblage. This study confirms the value of micromammals for interpreting past environments and complex human-animal interactions in central Argentina.