Stable isotope evidence supports pelagic fishing by hunter-gatherers in southern South America during the Late Holocene

Abstract

Fishing intensification development during the Late Holocene in the Beagle Channel is recognized in zooarchaeological studies, especially in a diversification to pelagic fish, implying an expansion of fishing practices to pelagic zones. In this paper, we undertake a paleoecological framework based on stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of modern and archaeological fish collagen bones. In this analysis we intend to provide an independent record to investigate possible variations in the patch use in marine fishing activities by hunter-gatherer societies in southern South America. Archaeological bones of Macruronus magellanicus, Merluccius sp. and Thyrsites atun were recovered from three stratified shellmiddens located in the coast of the Beagle Channel. In addition, modern samples of Macruronus magellanicus, Merluccius hubbsi and Merluccius australis were obtained at three different locations of the Patagonian continental shelf. Macruronus magellanicus results highlight the relative nearshore character of the archaeological specimens. No differences were found between archaeological and modern values for Merluccius sp., which indicate the offshore character of the archaeological specimens of this species. Results also show that the archaeological samples of Thyrsites atun are related to offshore ecosystems. In sum, stable isotope values of archaeological specimens agree with previous interpretations from zooarchaeological analyses of deep-water fishing during the Late Holocene in the Beagle Channel.