Final Late Holocene Research Articles

Bioarchaeological Patterns of Violence in North Patagonia (Argentina) during the late Holocene. Implications for the Study of Population Dynamics

AbstractThis work presents bioarchaeological patterns of interpersonal violence inferred for Northeastern Patagonia (Argentina) during the late Holocene. The main goal is to evaluate if there is a significant increase in the frequency of indicators of violence during the final late Holocene, prior to colonial times, in possible concordance with the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (ca. 1150–600 years BP). A sample of skulls (n = 797) was studied through a series of methodological steps that included the evaluation of their state of preservation and the study of potential injuries, taking into account the degree of ambiguity of the diagnosis. The sample was divided into three chronological groups: early (ca. 3500–2500 years BP), middle (ca. 2500–1500 years BP) and late (ca. 1500–400 years BP). The individuals were also separated according to sex, age category and geographical distribution. Although a temporal trend toward increased violence was detected, it was not statistically significant. There was also a higher percentage of positive cases in Northern individuals compared to the Southern ones, and between males compared to females, but neither case had statistically significant differences. Alternative mechanisms, such as population dispersals, exchange and use of buffer areas, that may have functioned to dispel social tensions, are proposed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A case of adult osteomyelitis in a Final Late Holocene hunter-gatherer population, eastern Pampa–Patagonian transition, Argentina

Osteomyelitis was frequent in prehistoric times, although its paleopathological recognition and analysis in skeletal remains is typically incomplete. Contrasting with osteomyelitis in children, in adults it is usually a subacute or chronic infection that develops secondary to an open injury. The aim of this paper is to present a case of osteomyelitis in an adult female skeleton, from a hunter-gatherer population that inhabited the eastern Pampa–Patagonian transition (Argentina) during Final Late Holocene (ca. 250 years BP). Macroscopic studies as well as biplanar radiographs and CT scans were used for diagnosis. Lamellar bone formations on the diaphysis and in the interior of the marrow cavity were recorded. Also, a lytic lesion was identified in CT images. The diagnostic procedures and the probable causes that could generate the lesions in the long bones of the lower limb are discussed. The lesions are consistent with osteomyelitis secondary to a contiguous focus of infection, possibly linked to the abscess in the maxillary bone.

Chronology and human settlement in northeastern Patagonia (Argentina): Patterns of site destruction, intensity of archaeological signal, and population dynamics

Temporal frequency distributions are used to assess the chronology and continuity of human occupation at different spatial scales, differential landscape use and demographic patterns throughout time. These issues were addressed by applying the summed of radiocarbon probability distributions method to the northeastern sector of Patagonia (Argentina). This sector was divided into three microregions: the lower course of the Colorado River, the mouth and the middle and lower course of Negro River, and the north coast of San Matías Gulf. Differences in the chronology of the occupations are observed when considering individually the three micro-regions. Also, differences are recorded regarding the chronological pattern obtained from coastal and inland sectors. These differences are mainly the outcome of specific geomorphological processes operating in different sectors of landscape that generated taphonomic bias. Sites were differentially impacted by taphonomic factors and the recognition of older sites than Middle and Late Holocene is difficult. Despite the detection of taphonomic biases, it is proposed that the higher intensity of the archaeological signal for the Final Late Holocene (ca. 600–400 cal BP) would be the result of higher population densities. It is suggested that chronological patterns obtained by temporal frequency distributions should be strengthened by independent evidence provided by qualitative information on the reorganization of hunter–gatherer societies (e.g.; changes in burial practices, subsistence, technology, etc.), indispensable to better evaluate the increase in population size and prehistoric demography.

PROCESOS DE FORMACIÓN Y EFECTOS TAFONÓMICOS EN ENTIERROS HUMANOS: EL CASO DEL SITIO PASO ALSINA 1 EN PATAGONIA NORORIENTAL ARGENTINA

The bioarchaeological record from the site Paso Alsina 1 (lower basin of the Colorado river, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina) contributes with important evidences for the knowledge of human populations inhabiting this transitional area between the Pampas and Patagonia during the Final Late Holocene (ca. 1.000-250 years BP). The results from the taphonomic study of two secondary multiple burials from Paso Alsina 1 are presented in this paper. The different analyzed variables allowed to infer the postmortem and postdepositional history of the human bone assemblage. Bioturbation impact was limited but the physical-chemical processes operating in the sedimentary context affected the anatomical integrity of diverse bone elements. On the other hand, the presence of cut marks on several anatomical units indicates human manipulation of some human bodies in the context of mortuary practices.

Mortuary Behaviour in Subadults: Children as Social Actors in the Hunter- Gatherer Societies of Argentine Pampas

Children are scarcely represented in the prehistoric burial sites of highly mobile hunter-gatherers. Despite this situation, their visibility and presence in the archaeological record is highly significant for the understanding of patterns of residence, life ways, social hierarchies and mortality profiles. This issue is particularly important when considering their representation in cemeteries and associated mortuary behaviours. The Chenque I site is a prehispanic cemetery from Western Pampas in Argentina, where subadults are highly represented. In this paper, several archaeological topics are discussed from different analytical perspectives, including social hierarchies, mortality patterns and the social role of children in these groups. The representations of childhood in multiple burials, in which the cause of death was clearly related to interpersonal violence, are also analysed. Despite their biologically immaturity, it would appear to be the case that pubertal juveniles played active and important social roles in war and conflict during the Final Late Holocene in the Centre of Argentina.

Evaluating Intensity in the Processing of Guanaco (Lama Guanicoe) at the Lower Basin of the Colorado River (Argentina): Fragmentation Levels and Fracture Patterns Analysis

This article explores the levels of fragmentation and fracture patterns in archaeofaunal assemblages from the lower basin of the Colorado River (Argentina) following Outram's methodology. Remains of ungulates (guanaco) have suffered, in these assemblages, a high degree of fragmentation probably caused during the processing of the carcasses. The presence of helical debris and shaft fragments indicates that fragmentation would respond to processing tasks for the consumption of marrow and possibly bone grease. The results of the application of this methodology that were obtained from the analysis of three late Holocene sites (La Primavera, Loma Ruiz 1 and El Tigre) are presented. These results provide new evidence not only for patterns of marrow and bone grease consumption but also for dealing with the subsistence model proposed for the study area. In this sense, the intensification processes already proposed during the final late Holocene (1000–250 bp) are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Human corpse manipulation and the body as symbol: A case study from the Eastern Pampa–Patagonia transition (Argentina) during the Final Late Holocene

Human body manipulation and secondary burials are widespread funerary practices in many areas of the world. The archaeology of the Pampas and North-Eastern Patagonia, Argentina, is no exception. In this paper, archaeological case studies from the lower basin of the Colorado River during the Final Late Holocene (ca. 1000–250years BP) are presented and discussed. Secondary burials were recovered that indicated an intentional manipulation of bodies. Evidences of cut marks and the coloring of bone surfaces were recorded. The bundles were composed of individuals of both sexes and diverse age categories. The Pampean region and North-Eastern Patagonia witnessed significant hunter–gatherer population dynamics during the last 1000years BP. Climatic, ecologic, demographic, and economic explanations have been proposed as the background to these changes. In this paper, it is argued that accompanying these factors, as part of a broader socio-cultural scenario, were significant social interaction networks and processes of social complementarity between groups. In this context, it is proposed that the complexity observed in relation to the handling of bodies is part of a worldview in which the body was seen as material culture – as a symbol – that played an important role for the community in group identity maintenance in a cultural context undergoing significant organizational changes.

Dento-alveolar lesions and palaeodietary inferences from the Paso Alsina 1 site (eastern Pampean–Patagonian transition, Argentina)

Several archaeological researches in northeastern Patagonia and southeastern Pampas have evaluated various indicators of the diets of hunter-gatherers who inhabited these regions during the Late Holocene, including the role of plant foods. Dental analysis is an important way to introduce new information about subsistence. In this sense, the objective of this work is to document and interpret dento-alveolar lesions in an osteological sample recovered from the Paso Alsina 1 archaeological site (eastern Pampean–Patagonian transition, Argentina). This paper will explore the oral health status of individuals and discuss palaeodietary information of hunter-gatherers that inhabited the lower valley of the Colorado River during the final Late Holocene (ca. 500 years BP). The site is defined as a formal area bundle composed of 10 secondary multiple burials containing 56 individuals of both sexes and various ages (e.g., perinatal, infant, and adult). In this study, 781 teeth and 1036 alveoli from 47 maxillae and 38 mandibles were analysed from 51 adult individuals. The results indicate a moderate rate of dental wear, and dental calculus, and low percentages of caries, abscesses, and antemortem tooth loss. The information obtained suggests a diet based on a combination of proteins, fat and carbohydrates. Results are then compared with those from other lines of analysis for the study area and for the neighboring regions (northeastern Patagonia and southeastern Pampas).

Late Holocene environmental dynamics in fluvial and aeolian depositional settings: Archaeological record variability at the lower basin of the Colorado river (Argentina)

This paper deals with the way in which the environmental dynamics that took place in the lower basin of the Colorado River (Buenos Aires province, Argentina) have affected the degree of archaeological resolution, integrity, and site preservation in different sectors of the study area (e.g., coastal fringe, delta and interior dune fields). Evidence from geomorphologic, stratigraphic, and sedimentary analyses as well as chemical parameters and zooarchaeological assemblages are used in order to propose spatial and temporal variations in the structure of the archaeological record. These lines of evidence were also used for inferring general paleoclimatic trends. The results obtained indicate that the inland landforms that contained Initial Late Holocene archaeological assemblages (3000–1000 14C BP) have suffered important morphodynamic processes that produced site destruction, loss of organic material and lower degrees of integrity and site resolution. Conversely, landforms located near the delta and the coastal fringe underwent more stable geomorphic processes (e.g., pedogenesis) that promoted better preservation, resolution, and integrity during the Initial Late Holocene and, particularly, during the Final Late Holocene (1000–250 14C BP). The recognition of this pattern is crucial in order to evaluate demographic processes linked with the intensity and mode of hunter-gatherer occupation of the area and population dynamics throughout time.

A case of multiple metastasis in Late Holocene hunter‐gatherers from the Argentine Pampean region

AbstractChenque I site is a prehistoric cemetery located in Lihué Calel National Park (La Pampa province) in the Western Pampean region of Argentina. Hunter‐gatherer societies made use of this site during the Final Late Holocene for at least 700 years (1030–370 BP). Currently 41 burial structures have been excavated, and more than 150 individuals have been recovered. There is great variability in mortuary patterns at the site (simple, multiple, primary, secondary burials, and also a variant not previously observed in the region).The life‐ways of this population have been investigated through the evaluation of several biological and cultural factors. Several pathological conditions have also been identified in this cemetery. Burial no. 12 contains a skeleton of an adult male that shows multiple pathological lesions, compatible with a neoplastic disease. These lesions have been analysed using several methodological strategies: macroscopic, radiological and microscopic. This is the first time that this kind of disease has been identified from a prehistoric burial in Argentina.In this paper the location and characteristics of the lesions are evaluated, and the different neoplastic diseases that could have produced them are discussed. Since the people buried in this cemetery belonged to highly mobile societies, a key issue is to infer the consequences that this disease would have had on the dynamics of the group in which this person lived, because of the gradual deterioration of his health and physical strength. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Role of wild plant foods among late Holocene hunter‐gatherers from Central and North Patagonia (South America): An approach from dental evidence

This study evaluates the role of plant foods in the subsistence of hunter-gatherers that inhabited the Central East, Northwest, and Northeast Patagonia (Argentina) during the late Holocene (ca. 3,000-500 years BP). The goal of the present study is to assess the temporal variation of dental caries ratio and wear rate in skeletal samples to ascertain if the biological information supports the dietary shift toward greater consumption of wild plant foods around 1,500 years BP, suggested by other types of evidence. The authors registered caries, antemortem and postmortem tooth loss, and tooth wear from eight samples belonging to hunter-gatherers from Patagonia for which chronological sequences from early late Holocene (ca. 3,000-1,500 years BP) up to final late Holocene (ca. 1,500-500 years BP) are available. The results indicate that caries percentages in Patagonian samples fall within the range established for hunter-gatherers but there are significant geographical differences. In addition, caries ratio does not change significantly through time, so the amount of carbohydrates consumed seems to have remained fairly constant since 3,000 years BP. In contrast, there is a marked temporal trend toward the reduction of wear rates in the three areas, suggesting a faster rate in early late Holocene than in final late Holocene. These results would reflect a change to less hard and/or abrasive diets in the final late Holocene, probably owing to differences in food processing methods employed.

Glacial geomorphology and chronology of deglaciation, South Georgia, sub-Antarctic

We mapped and dated the glacial geomorphology of north-east South Georgia, in the maritime sub-Antarctic. The aim was to examine the timing of deglaciation of the island in the context of inter-hemispheric phasing of climate change. Former glacier limits are restricted to the inner fjords, and our detailed mapping of them has demonstrated a consistent geomorphological pattern that is similar across several different glacier types and sizes. The pattern comprises three suites of moraines (categories “a–c”), not all of which are represented at every site because the outer suite is often overridden by younger suites. Category “a” is an outer wide, low amplitude moraine ridge, category “b” comprises 2–4 sharp-crested, bouldery moraines that are often located close to or even over-riding “a”, and category “c” is a series of lower amplitude moraines with overprinted streamlined landforms such as flutings. Analysis of in situ cosmogenic 10Be in boulders on these moraines has allowed us to determine a deglacial chronology for the older two moraine groups. The age of the inner (youngest) group has been estimated from soil development. The cosmogenic nuclide ages show that the outermost moraine was deposited ca 12.2±1.5 ka BP, but that a subsequent readvance in the mid-Holocene (ca 3.6±1.1 ka BP) reached and, in places, over-rode this earlier moraine. This latter advance coincides with the “Mid Holocene Hypsithermal”. A final Late Holocene advance reached closely similar limits to the previous two fluctuations and is estimated from soil data to have an age of ca 1.1 ka BP. We suggest that the close concordance of Late-Glacial and interglacial limits (in this case associated with warming) can be explained by a change in dominant forcing. During glacials, extensive sea-ice limits precipitation availability and so glaciers are restricted to the inner fjords. During interglacials precipitation is not limited in the same way by sea-ice cover and so during warming precipitation increases and tidewater glaciers on the island have responded by advancing. This study emphasises the importance of a clear understanding of geomorphology in order to interpret chronological information.

Holocene environmental change in a marine-estuarine-lacustrine sediment sequence, King George Island, South Shetland Islands

Sedimentological features and cluster analysis of diatom assemblages were used to investigate a local Holocene prograding sequence of marine-estuarine-lacustrine sediments. It consists of upward finning and thinning sediment cycles formed at the mouth of a meltwater stream during regional isostatic uplift, which followed early Holocene deglaciation and marine inundation events. The sequence begins in the lower Holocene sublittoral sand (marine diatoms and abundant molluscs) overlying, with a transgressive base, the deltic (?) clastic sediment marking probably one of the pre-Holocene interglacial periods (index diatom Actinocyclus ingens suggests an age >0.62 Ma). The lower Holocene marine sand was truncated by middle Holocene gravity flows, bearing volcanic ash. They were deposited in a high energy estuarine environment (brackish diatoms). The beach subsequently formed separated the estuary from the sea and changed it into a freshwater lake. Accumulation of moss and gyttja, containing a freshwater diatom assemblage, marks the final late Holocene stage of this coastal sedimentary sequence, which can be considered as typical for deglaciation periods in the maritime Antarctic.

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction by pollen analysis from loess sequences of the southeast of Buenos Aires (Argentina)

A model of the dynamics of pollen dispersion and deposition in relation to loess deposition is proposed. It is based on pollen analysis of three discontinuous loess sequences of Late Pleistocene-Holocene age, that are located at the archaeological locality of Cerro La China, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (37° 57′ S.; 58° 37′ W.). Deposition and accumulation of loess and pollen were interpreted in terms of their provenance and transport using the Tauber (1967) and Pye (1987) models for pollen and dust dispersal, respectively. Three pollen zones can be distinguished based on changes in pollen assemblages. The final Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene interval is represented by pollen zone 3. Loess deposits have been accumulated in an environment with a locally high effective moisture. Loess deposition would have occurred synsedimentarily with extra-regional, local and regional pollen taxa. The relationship between pollen dispersal and possible extra-regional pollen sources indicate predominantly W.-SW winds. This zone is truncated by an erosive episode, hence, the successional process of the community could not be reconstructed for the Early Holocene. The Middle Holocene is represented by pollen zone 4. Deposition of loess began in an environment with predominantly herbaceous communities. Pollen concentration increases towards the top of the zone and may represent a buried soil; this would imply a change towards more stable and humid conditions than those at the beginning of the deposition. Extra-regional pollen concentration suggests a comparatively high local and regional pollen productivity rather than a change in wind direction. A slight erosive episode constitutes the upper boundary of zone 4 and is related to new drier conditions. Zone 5 occurs during historical times and is represented by graminous steppe communities and over-representation of local taxa.