Charcoal anatomy of species from the Argentine Puna

Abstract

The Antofagasta de la Sierra (Catamarca) locality lies in the southern sector of the Argentine Puna; its landscape presents wavy plains, mountains and many volcanoes. The climate is cold, dry and frequent winds blows from the Southwest. Fitogeographycally speaking, it belongs to the Provincia Puneña where the genus Fabiana, Parastrephia, Acantholippia, Senecio, Baccharis and Junellia are. The locality has many archaeological investigations and charcoal remains are often found. In the study of charcoal remains it is essential to have contemporary reference material in order to obtain accurate taxonomic identifications. This reference material should undergo the same processes than the archaeological remains in order to reproduce the same conditions in both samples. In this context, the aim of this work was to start a charcoal collection that will be useful for the identification of archaeological charcoal remains obtained in the locality. The stem of the following species were carbonized: Acantholippia deserticola, Adesmia erinaceae, A. horrida, A. minor, Artemisia copa, Atriplex imbricata, Baccharis incarum, Chuquiraga atacamensis, Ephedra breana, Fabiana bryoides, F. punensis, Jumellia seriphiodes, Mulinum crassifolium, Parastrephia lucida, P. quadrangularis, Senecio santelisis, S. viridis, Neosparton ephedroides and Neuontobotrys tarapacana. The charcoal obtained was studie under binocular loupe and the three typical wood sections were photograph with SEM. Thebinoc anatomy of each species was describe. The results show the permanence of diagnostic features of each species even under the effect of temperature as well as anatomical modifications due to it.