Beached penguins on the Atlantic Coast in the Pampas region of Argentina: Taphonomic analysis and implications for the archaeological record

Abstract

This study evaluates a modern natural deposit of Magellanic penguin remains in the coast of the Pampas region, and discusses the regional availability of this resource for prehistoric hunter-gatherer populations, as well as the potential for the natural incorporation of this species into the archaeological record. The penguin assemblage from the surveyed area, which results from beaching during seasonal migration, consists of disarticulated bones, articulated bones, and carcasses. In the skeletal representation, there is a strong predominance of limbs and shoulder girdle elements. Natural processes such as weathering, sedimentary abrasion, and predator action highly affected the preservation of specimens. Even though penguins could have been a potential prey for hunter-gatherer populations of the Pampas region, our results suggest that they were not an attractive food resource given their scarcity and poor nutritional condition. The spatial distribution of modern penguin remains and the archaeological evidence suggest that the natural incorporation of bones from this seabird into surface archaeological sites can be expected in the backshore and deflated interdunes. However, the chances of long term burial and bone preservation are low; thus, the formation of a stratigraphic archaeological site containing intrusive penguin remains in these settings is unlikely.