Late Holocene camelid use tendencies in two different ecological zones of Northwestern Argentina

Abstract

The human–camelid relation can be traced from the end of the Pleistocene to the present time. During that time span that relations changed transforming from merely extractive techniques to productive ones (e.g. herding). In order to recognize the camelid use tendencies within the late productive economies, archaeofaunal assemblages from southern Calchaquíes valleys are compared with other collections from the higher Argentinean Puna (Northwestern Argentina). Some possible signs of distinctive economical use of camelids between these two zones are discussed, as expressed in the archaeofaunal record of the Late Holocene. Three periods were observed. The earliest period shows for both zones the use of three camelid species ( Lama glama, Lama guanicoe and Vicugna vicugna) with the presence of more adult remains than subadults. The second period (Middle) shows more variability with less biodiversity in Puna and some regions of lower valleys while proportions of adults and subadults for Puna are the inverse of those during the earliest period. For the Late period the economy shows for Puna the presence of adult camelids while the subadults still are predominant in certain localities. Valley records do not register major changes during the three periods in age classes and species occurrence. The presence of two camelid use models in the region is established.