The Role of Small Prey in Human Populations of Northwest Patagonia and Its Implications

Abstract

The prehistoric rise in the consumption of small prey has traditionally been explained by archaeologist asthe result of diet intensification under situations of demographic pressure. However, alternativeexplanations have been proposed, such as processes of niche differentiation, nutritional decisions thatincrease reproductive success or processes of complementarity between resources. In particular, studies ofNutritional Ecology, which focuses on the reproductive advantages of the consumption of all the essentialnutrients to the human life, rather than the energy return rate per se, provides an alternative explanation forchanges in the consumption of small prey. In this study we examine the role of this prey?which includesdasipodids (i.e., piche and peludo), mollusks, birds, small carnivores, rodents, and fish?in the diet ofNorthwestern Patagonian prehistoric populations, considering different demographic scenarios for thehuman populations and their most common prey, guanaco. We use zooarchaeological and stable isotopedata to describe dietary patterns and changes, and consider the available ethnohistorical information for theexploitation of these resources in the area. Finally, we gather nutritional and socio-ethological data of thefauna from the region and discuss some of the applications and assumptions of prey choice models. Wesuggest that the role of small prey in human diets in Northwest Patagonia was more important along theHolocene than what is traditionally held and was complementary to the consumption of guanaco in termsof availability and nutritional content and in the costs of obtaining and processing.