Long-Term Interaction between Hunter-Gatherer-Fisher Societies and Marine Resources in the Southern Tip of South America

Abstract

Predictions based on animal ecology are critical to model human-specific decisions in zooarchaeology. However, information about the past distribution of prey is rare, and evaluations normally rely on modern ecological parameters to fill in the gaps. These assumptions often are problematic since species distributions are likely to have fluctuated over time as a consequence of different environmental factors, or as the by-product of cumulative human impacts. Stable isotope studies, including bulk and compound specific isotope analysis, have the potential to address this problem by providing a suitable paleoecological framework. A number of studies have suggested that variation in carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values among marine animals can be explained by differences in the isotopic composition between nearshore and offshore ecosystems, and/or by changes in trophic levels in marine food webs. In this chapter, we provide a long-term perspective on the interaction between Beagle Channel hunter-gatherer-fisher societies and marine resources of the southern tip of South America through the application of stable isotope ecology. We address changes in the foraging behavior of Otariids in response to human predation, the human use of offshore patches during the late Holocene, and the isotopic paleoecology to understand human dietary variations in the region.