Prehispanic Population Research Articles

Geographic Patterns of Craniofacial Variation in Pre-Hispanic Populations from the Southern Cone of South America

In this study we analyzed the relationships and patterns of spatial variation from morphological cranial variability of 17 population samples representing the ancient inhabitants of the central territory of Argentina (archaeologically known as "Sierras Centrales") and other pre-Hispanic populations from different ecological and geographic regions of the Southern Cone of South America (Argentina and Uruguay), based on the analysis of 10 craniofacial measurements. Results obtained from D2 distances can be interpreted as evidence of a similar biological history for the populations that inhabited the Sierras Centrales and the population of Santiago del Estero. Matrix correlation analysis demonstrated that craniometric variation is significantly influenced by geography, suggesting that populations that lived at lower geographical distance share more biological similarity. Global spatial autocorrelation analysis suggests a clinal pattern for the biological variation, although Moran's I estimates calculated for each variable demonstrate that only nasal height and breadth show this spatial pattern of variation. Results from spatial regression techniques show a significant effect of altitude modeling nasal shape, in agreement with previous studies suggesting that nasal morphology is strongly influenced by environment variables.

Stature estimation in a central Patagonian prehispanic population: development of new models considering specific body proportions

AbstractStature estimation of individuals from extinct human populations is a classic topic in anthropology. The estimations, using regression formulae generated from different reference samples, display different results. This fact is related to inter‐populational differences in body proportions, which is a phenotypic trait mainly correlated with climatic parameters. The aim of this paper is to address the problem of stature estimation of an archaeological skeletal sample from Patagonia – a region for which there are no specific models available – using different methods and considering differences in body proportions between reference and target populations. The sample used in this analysis is composed of 35 Late Holocene adults of both sexes recovered in central Patagonia (Argentina). The stature of each individual was first reconstructed using the anatomical method [Fully G. 1956. Une nouvelle me´thode de de´termination de la taille. Annales Medicine Legale 35: 266–273], which has no assumptions on body proportions. The results were compared with estimations based on 32 different regression formulae [Trotter M, Gleser G. 1958. A re‐evaluation of estimation of stature based on measurements taken during life and the long bones after death. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 16: 79–124. 10.1002/ajpa.1330160106] and three femur/stature ratios [Feldesman MR, Fountain RL. 1996. Race specificity and the femur/stature ratio. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 100: 207–224. 10.1002/(SICI)1096‐8644(199606)]. The average reconstructed stature was 160.8 cm for females (95% confidence band = 155.6–166.2 cm), and 170.5 cm for males (95% confidence band = 168.8–172.2 cm). Most of the comparisons of the regression formulae and femur/stature ratios showed significant differences, which are explained by differences in body proportions between the Patagonian sample and the ones chosen as reference. Finally, a set of new equations was developed using simple regression techniques. It is suggested that whenever possible, population‐specific formulae should be used in archaeological studies. In any other situation, the choice of a reference population should be made by taking into account its geographic (latitudinal) provenance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Multidisciplinary studies at Cerro Tapera Vázquez site, Pre-Delta National Park, Argentina: The archaeological, sedimentological and paleobotanical evidence

The initial results of archaeological, sedimentological and paleoethnobotanical studies of Cerro Tapera Vázquez (CTV) archaeological site were analyzed. This research aims to characterize the ceramic, lithic and bone materials recorded at CTV, to establish the chronology of the site and to define the paleoenvironmental context during human occupation of the site. The site is located on the wide alluvial floodplain of the Paraná River. In 2008, 16 m 2 were excavated at CTV, and abundant smooth, incised and modeled pottery and numerous bone remains (especially of coypu) were recorded. Radiocarbon dates put past human occupation at between 650 and 520 BP. The paleobotanical evidence establishes that for this period the climatic conditions were colder than at present, while the anthracological record allowed the selection criteria used by the occupants in search of vegetal fuel to be determined. The results reached in this study lead to the conclusion that the pre-Hispanic populations that occupied CTV by the end of the Late Holocene were riverine canoe peoples, with complex ceramic technology and subsistence based on hunting, fishing and probably small-scale horticulture.

Paleonutritional and paleodietary survey on prehistoric humans from Las Cañadas del Teide (Tenerife, Canary Islands) based on chemical and histological analysis of bone

The aim of the present study is to perform a paleodietary and paleonutritional survey on 17 individuals buried in accordance with the prehispanic ritual in the central plateau of the island Tenerife, called Las Cañadas del Teide. We recorded hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon isotope compositions of human bone collagen, bone barium and strontium, and histomorphometrically assessed trabecular bone mass (TBM). Bone trace elements and TBM were compared with reference data derived from a modern sample consisting of 13 individuals. In addition, δ 15N and δ 13C values were determined in several modern indigenous plants, bone collagen of prehistoric domestic animals (goat and pig), and prehistoric wild animals (a giant lizard, Gallotia goliath and a giant rat, Canaryomis bravoi), which represent food sources potentially consumed by the prehistoric population of the Island. The carbon stable isotope composition of bone collagen ranged between −20.5 and −18.6‰ (VPDB), indicating a diet based on C 3 plants. Nitrogen isotope values ranged from 8.2 to 12.4‰ (AIR), suggesting a general meat-enriched diet, most likely domestic goats, of higher level consumers. Hydrogen isotope values ranged from −18 to +4‰, whereas log Ba/Sr was greater than −0.40 in the vast majority of cases. TBM showed a tendency to osteoporosis in 30% of the individuals analyzed. C-14 dating showed that two burial sites, including 5 individuals, belonged to the post-conquest era (after the 15th century), despite a fully “prehispanic” burial ritual, which lends credenceto the oral tradition that some of the prehispanic population fled to the highlands at the time of the Spanish conquest, and lived there during decades or even centuries. These individuals showed lower δD, δ 13C and δ 15N, and higher log Ba/Sr values than those buried before the Spanish conquest, suggesting dietary differences between the two groups. Also, women showed a trend to a higher consumption of vegetables than men.

The Role ofProsopisin Ecological and Landscape Change in the Samaca Basin, Lower Ica Valley, South Coast Peru from the Early Horizon to the Late Intermediate Period

AbstractThe lower Ica Valley on the hyperarid south coast of Peru is today largely depopulated and bereft of cultivation, yet its extensive archaeological remains attest to substantial prehispanic populations. This paper describes archaeological investigations to retrace changes in geomorphology, ecology, and land-use in Samaca, one of the riparian oasis basins of the lower Río lea, with the aim of investigating when, how, and why such changes took place. Archaeological interpretations of culture change in the region often invoke the impacts of major ENSO perturbations (El Niño). While our investigations confirm that major El Niño events around the end of the Early Intermediate Period likely offer part of the explanation for marked landscape change in the Samaca Basin, we also demonstrate the significance of more gradual, human-induced destruction of Prosopis pallida (huarango) riparian dry-forest. Huarango is a remarkable leguminous hardwood that lives for over a millennium and provides forage, fuel, and food. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in integrating fragile desert ecosystems, enhancing soil fertility and moisture, and accomplishing desalination and microclimatic amelioration. We propose that south coast valleys remained densely forested well into the Early Intermediate Period, attenuating the impact of El Niño events and supporting hitherto underappreciated agroforestry adaptations. Gradual deforestation eventually crossed an environmental threshold: river and wind erosion increased dramatically and precipitated radical desertification, feeding back into cultural changes in the Middle Horizon. Thus we argue Prosopis-human ecological relationships merit proper recognition in our archaeological interpretations of the south coast of Peru.

The impact of human activities on the natural environment of the Canary Islands (Spain) during the pre-Hispanic stage (3rd–2nd Century BC to 15th Century AD): an overview

This paper presents a brief review of archaeological evidence for the impact of the pre-Hispanic population on the environment of the Canary Islands. Prior to human colonisation, the archipelago was an untouched environment with high botanical and faunal biodiversity. The first human settlement can be traced to the early 1st millennium BC; this period of settlement finished at the end of the 15th century AD when the Spanish Crown conquered the archipelago. It has often been assumed that the pre-Hispanic population had little significant impact on the islands' ecosystems. However, abundant evidence for faunal extinctions, deforestation and soil erosion has been recovered from archaeological sites across the islands. This indicates that pre-Hispanic colonisers introduced cultivated plants, opened up the forests to create fields and cut woody vegetation for fuel. They also introduced domestic animals and alien predators resulting in a major depletion of native fauna.

Genetic continuity after the collapse of the Wari empire: Mitochondrial DNA profiles from Wari and post‐Wari populations in the ancient Andes

The Wari empire flourished in the central, highland Peruvian Andes from AD 600-1000, and although the events that led to its demise are unknown, archaeological evidence indicates that Wari control waned at the end of the first millennium. Here, we test the hypothesis that, despite the major shift in social and political organization at the fall of the Wari empire, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) composition of populations from the Ayacucho Basin, the former imperial heartland of the empire, remained essentially unchanged. Results show that mtDNA haplogroup frequencies among the Wari and post-Wari groups differ, but the difference is not statistically significant (chi2 = 5.886, df = 3, P = 0.1172). This is the first study in the Andes to use haplotypic data to evaluate the observed genetic distance between two temporally distinct prehispanic populations (F(ST) = 0.029) against modeled expectations of four possible evolutionary scenarios. None of these simulations allowed the rejection of continuity. In total, at both the haplogroup and haplotype levels these data do not allow us to reject the hypothesis that post-Wari individuals sampled in this study are the maternal descendants of those sampled from the Wari era site of Conchopata. However, genetic homogeneity in the mitochondrial gene pool, as seen in the late prehispanic southern Andes, may also characterize our study region. But, prior to this research, this was unknown. If our new data show mtDNA homogeneity, then this could limit the detection of female migration if, in fact, it occurred. Nonetheless, the novel mtDNA data presented here currently do not support the hypothesis that there was an influx of genetically distinct females into the former Wari heartland after the Wari collapse.

Linking cultural and environmental change in Peruvian prehistory: Geomorphological survey of the Samaca Basin, Lower Ica Valley, Peru

Abstract The lower Ica Valley on the hyperarid south coast of Peru is today largely depopulated and bereft of cultivation. Yet its extensive archaeological remains attest to substantial pre-Hispanic populations. We provide a case-study of Pre-Hispanic culturally induced environmental change through combining field archaeological and geomorphological survey with archaeobotanical, sedimentary and soil micromorphology approaches. Our investigations reveal that, although major El Nino climatic perturbations occurring around the end of the Early Intermediate Period are part of the explanation, more gradual, human-induced reduction in riparian dry-forest vegetation also lie behind major landscape change, which culminated during the Middle Horizon.

Contact in the Andes: Bioarchaeology of systemic stress in colonial Mórrope, Peru

The biocultural interchange between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres beginning in the late fifteenth century initiated an unprecedented adaptive transition for Native Americans. This article presents findings from the initial population biological study of contact in the Central Andes of Peru using human skeletal remains. We test the hypothesis that as a consequence of Spanish colonization, the indigenous Mochica population of Mórrope on the north coast of Peru experienced elevated systemic biological stress. Using multivariate statistical methods, we examine childhood stress reflected in the prevalence of linear enamel hypoplasias and porotic hyperostosis, femoral growth velocity, and terminal adult stature. Nonspecific periosteal infection prevalence and D(30+)/D(5+) ratio estimations of female fertility characterized adult systemic stress. Compared to the late pre-Hispanic population, statistically significant patterns of increased porotic hyperostosis and periosteal inflammation, subadult growth faltering, and depressed female fertility indicate elevated postcontact stress among both children and adults in Mórrope. Terminal adult stature was unchanged. A significant decrease in linear enamel hypoplasia prevalence may not indicate improved health, but reflect effects of high-mortality epidemic disease. Various lines of physiological, archaeological, and ethnohistoric evidence point to specific socioeconomic and microenvironmental factors that shaped these outcomes, but the effects of postcontact population aggregation in this colonial town likely played a fundamental role in increased morbidity. These results inform a model of postcontact coastal Andean health outcomes on local and regional scales and contribute to expanding understandings of the diversity of indigenous biological variation in the postcontact Western Hemisphere.

Genetic admixture, relatedness, and structure patterns among Mexican populations revealed by the Y‐chromosome

Y-linked markers are suitable loci to analyze genetic diversity of human populations, offering knowledge of medical, forensic, and anthropological interest. In a population sample of 206 Mestizo males from western Mexico, we analyzed two binary loci (M3 and YAP) and six Y-STRs, adding to the analysis data of Mexican Mestizos and Amerindians, and relevant worldwide populations. The paternal ancestry estimated in western Mexican-Mestizos was mainly European (60-64%), followed by Amerindian (25-21%), and African ( approximately 15%). Significant genetic heterogeneity was established between Mestizos from western (Jalisco State) and northern Mexico (Chihuahua State) compared with Mexicans from the center of the Mexican Republic (Mexico City), this attributable to higher European ancestry in western and northern than in central and southeast populations, where higher Amerindian ancestry was inferred. This genetic structure has important implications for medical and forensic purposes. Two different Pre-Hispanic evolutionary processes were evident. In Mesoamerican region, populations presented higher migration rate (N(m) = 24.76), promoting genetic homogeneity. Conversely, isolated groups from the mountains and canyons of the Western and Northern Sierra Madre (Huichols and Tarahumaras, respectively) presented a lower migration rate (N(m) = 10.27) and stronger genetic differentiation processes (founder effect and/or genetic drift), constituting a Pre-Hispanic population substructure. Additionally, Tarahumaras presented a higher frequency of Y-chromosomes without Q3 that was explained by paternal European admixture (15%) and, more interestingly, by a distinctive Native-American ancestry. In Purepechas, a special admixture process involving preferential integration of non-Purepecha women in their communities could explain contrary genetic evidences (autosomal vs. Y-chromosome) for this tribe.

Canary islands aborigin sex determination based on mandible parameters contrasted by amelogenin analysis

Sex determination using mandible parameters is population dependent. In order to assess which measurements better characterize sex in prehispanic individuals from the Canary Islands, we blindly contrasted the results obtained by visual inspection and osteometric measurements with those obtained by molecular sexing using amelogenin ancient DNA analysis on teeth from the same material. Unambiguous sex classification was achieved by amplification of sex specific amelogenin alleles in 56 out of 76 mandibles (73.78% of the cases). Visual inspection led to a correct diagnosis in 66.04% of cases, with a greater proportion of errors for female (54.17%) than male (17.24%) mandibles. Osteometric measurements were able to assign sex correctly in 72.2% in the best of cases (mandibular height), a proportion similar to that obtained using a discriminant function (71.2%). By logistic regression analysis, ramus breadth, index ramus breadth/ramus height and mandibular length were the parameters independently related with a mistaken diagnosis of female sex, whereas bigonial width, ramus height and mandibular length were the parameters more closely and independently related to a mistaken diagnosis of male sex. In conclusion, diagnosis based on visual examination of the mandible or on its metric measurement only serves to roughly estimate sex with an accuracy of around 70% or less, at least among the prehispanic population from Gran Canaria. Amplification of amelogenin alleles leads to unambiguous identification of male and female alleles in 73.68% of cases, at least among the prehispanic population from Gran Canaria.

A Holocene pollen record of vegetation change and human impact from Pantano de Vargas, an intra-Andean basin of Duitama, Colombia

Holocene environments in the intra-Andean basin of Duitama (Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, 2510 m altitude) are presented based on the 620 cm long Vargas pollen and sediment record. Seven AMS radiocarbon dates show these lake and swamp sediments represent the period from 8800 to 2610 14C yr BP. We identified seven distinct periods of environmental conditions in the basin. From ca. 8800 to 7700 14C yr BP (9450–8300 cal yr BP) Alnus and Myrica swamp forest grew on wet soils. On the surrounding slopes Andean forest was present with Hedyosmum, Melastomataceae and Quercus. Between 7700 and 6090 14C yr BP (8300–6750 cal yr BP) open water with aquatics alternated with peat-forming Plantago meadows reflecting repeated lake levels changes. From 6090 to 5220 14C yr BP (6750–5680 cal yr BP) open water and grassy vegetation around the lake was replaced by Alnus-dominated swamp forest, suggesting lower lake levels and drier climatic conditions. Between 5220 and 4500 14C yr BP (5680–4810 cal yr BP) an alternation between Alnus-dominated swamp forest and open grassy vegetation continued, reflecting fluctuating water levels. At that time Hedyosmum, Miconia, Quercus, Solanaceae, Relbunium and Rubiaceae were common elements in the Andean forest. From about 4500 to 3680 14C yr BP (4810–3800 cal yr BP) Alnus-dominated swamp forest alternated with Myrica shrub and much organic material accumulated in the basin. Evidence of deforestation (reduction of Quercus in particular), lowering of water tables and increasing disturbance, probably by erosion (presence of Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae, Borreria and Dodonaea) point to the settlement of pre-Hispanic populations. Between 3680 and 2610 14C yr BP (3800–2470 cal yr BP) there is clear evidence of crop cultivation (presence of Zea mays) and frequent fires (high amounts of charcoal in the sediments). Erosion all over the basin led to significant sediment supply and the lake gradually changed into a swamp. By this time pre-Hispanic populations had used nearly all alder wood in the catchment area. The uppermost sediments are oxidised and the last 2610 radiocarbon years of the Holocene are not represented, possibly due to agricultural activities.

BURIAL PRACTICES DURING THE LATE FORMATIVE/EARLY CLASSIC IN THE BANDERAS VALLEY AREA OF COASTAL WEST MEXICO

In this article we report on the results of our attempts to locate and study shaft-and-chamber tombs in the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta on the southern (Jalisco) side of the Banderas Valley of coastal West Mexico and to place these tombs in the broader context of burial practices in this area during a time corresponding to the Late Preclassic and Early Classic of Mesoamerica. We located and studied nine sites where shaft-and-chamber tombs had reportedly been discovered and looted, but here we focus on three (El Reparito, El Pozo de Doña Amparo, and La Pedrera) where we were able to excavate un-looted as well as partially looted shaft-and-chamber tombs. In the process we obtained evidence of (1) the location and type of soil selected for the excavation of such tombs; (2) variation in the form and content of the shafts and tomb chambers; (3) the tools used for digging and the manner of sealing such tombs; (4) chronological placement of the tombs; (5) burial of infants, sub-adults, and adults in the chambers; (5) pathology in the pre-Hispanic population responsible for such tombs; (6) cremation of bodies and their curation for different periods of time before incineration; and (7) alternative forms of interment along with shaft-and-chamber tombs in the same cemetery. Also, the data obtained lend support for the idea that the Ameca River and the Banderas Valley formed a “soft frontier” at this time between fairly distinct pre-Hispanic cultural traditions found to the north and to the south of the river, an area in which there was some intermixing of these traditions.

Environmental history of the dry forest biome of Guerrero, Mexico, and human impact during the last c. 2700 years

Two lake sediment cores from Madre del Sur mountain range,Guerrero State, west-central Mexico were studied to examine the pastdynamics of the dry forest biome. Pollen, spores of coprophilousfungi, cyanobacteria and lithological changes are presented. The390-cm Tixtla core (1730'N, 99°24W, 1400 maltitude) represents the last 2700 cal. yr; the 340-cm Huitziltepeccore (17°45N, 99°28W, 1430 m altitude) representsthe last 2050 cal. yr. Pollen shows climate-dependent competitionbetween dry deciduous forest (with Asteraceae, Chamaesyce-type,Bursera, Euphorbia, Myrica and Lysiloma-Pithecellobium-type as main components) and moister(mesophyllous) forest (with Pinus, Quercus, Alnus and Juglans). Human impact on the environment is apparent duringthe entire record, as evidenced by crop cultivation (Zea mays,Amaranthus, Capsicum, Chenopodium), coprophilous fungi (Podospora-type and Sporormiella-type), deforestation (at Tixtla in particular) and lake eutrophication, ie, cyanobacteria blooms. Environmental change at both sites is summarized as follows. Period 1 (2700-2450 cal. yr BP): abundant dry deciduous forest and climate conditions drier than today. Period 2 (2450-1950 cal. yr BP): little change in proportions of dry deciduous and mesophyllous forest but floral composition of the forests differed between sites. Human occupation was low. Period 3 (1950-1550 cal. yr BP): dry deciduous forest decreased while mesophyllous forest increased, indicating more humid climatic conditions. Populations expanded significantly around 1950 cal. yr BP. Period 4 (1550-1070 cal. yr BP): maximum expansion of mesophyllous forest. Climate was more humid than today. Pre-Hispanic populations at Tixtla reached high numbers leading to deforestation and eutrophication. Period 5 (1070-c. 750 cal. yr BP): shows abundant mesophyllous forest and lowest proportions of dry deciduous forest. Climate continued to be humid. There is evidence of forest harvesting, crop cultivation and dense human population. Period 6 (c. 750-225 cal. yr BP): dry deciduous forest expanded and mesophyllous forest decreased. There was significant deforestation by pre-Hispanic people around Lake Tixtla. High population densities and frequent fires at both sites caused eutrophication of the lakes. Domesticated herbivores were introduced ∼ad 1500 and the presence of dung is reflected in the record of coprophilous fungi. Period 7 (the last 225 calendar years): the basins were used intensively by local people and their cattle. Dry deciduous forest continued to increase while mesophyllous forest decreased.

Bioarqueología de poblaciones prehistóricas de la quebrada de Humahuaca (Jujuy, Argentina)

Through bioarchaeological characterizations of the prehispanic people of the Humahuaca valley, this paper suggests their lifestyle expectations and health status during the Late Formative (500-900 AD), Regional Development I (900-1250 AD) and II (1250-1430 AD) periods. Bioarchaeology constitutes an important way to make inferences about processes of social change in prehispanic populations. In this study, nutritional stress, functional stress, diet and trauma indicators are used to characterize each period and evaluate changes through time regarding subsistence patterns, the type of resources consumed and the health status of these populations.

TRÁFICO DE CARAVANAS, ARTE RUPESTRE Y RITUALIDAD EN LA QUEBRADA DE SUCA (EXTREMO NORTE DE CHILE)

This work analyses the strong and recognized relationship between rock art and traffic routes witin the Atacama Desert. The model of circuit mobility is analyzed and in addition Andean ritualism is considered. We describe the architectural, ceramic and rock art evidence from two adjacent sites in the interior of the Quebrada Suca, in the Valley of Camarones (Northern Chile). The sites Suca 7 and Suca 13 were selected for their significance within the landscape and contextual associations. The two sites present different logistical functions within the model of circuit mobility, for distinctive traffic, one being interregional and the other local and circumscribed to the gorge and adjacent valleys. Furthermore, the analysis of rock art permits observations about spatial appropriation, ritualism, and economic and ideological interactions among different late pre-Hispanic populations (A.D. 1,000 to 1,350) within the desert

Calculus, periodontal disease and tooth decay among the prehispanic population from Gran Canaria

In the prehispanic Gran Canaria there are some anthropological differences between the coastal inhabitants who buried their dead mainly in tumuli, and those from the central mountains, mainly buried in caves. Some data, as the prevalence of auricular exostoses, and a different bone Ba/Sr ratio support the view that there were differences in economy and diet between both groups of islanders. Moreover, the proportion of carious teeth was significantly higher among the population buried in caves. In the present study we analysed the prevalence of dental calculus, periodontal disease and antemortem tooth loss in remains of 791 individuals belonging to the anthropological collection of the Museo Canario (Las Palmas). Calculus deposition was very frequent (88.51%), no differences existing between men and women or between those interred in tumuli or in caves. Age at death was the only parameter independently related to calculus deposition by stepwise multivariate analysis. Periodontal disease was observed in 66.78% of the population, significantly more in men (χ 2 = 4.88, P = 0.027). No differences existed between individuals buried in tumuli and in caves. Antemortem teeth loss was observed in 64.73% of individuals, no differences existing between men and women or between those interred in tumuli or in caves. There was a significant association between calculus and periodontal disease (χ 2 = 18.07, P < 0.0001). Both caries (χ 2 = 8.40, P = 0.004) and periodontal disease (χ 2 = 44.96, P < 0.0001) were associated with tooth decay. However, the proportion of teeth with calculus deposition (in relation to observed teeth) was significantly higher among the population buried in tumuli ( Z = 3.18, P = 0.001), although no differences were observed when the proportion of antemortem lost teeth and alveoli with periodontal disease were compared among people buried in tumuli and in caves, but women showed significantly lower proportions of alveoli with periodontal disease and antemortem tooth decay. These data suggest that the population buried in caves had a different dietary pattern to that of those buried in tumuli, since calculus deposition -more frequent in the latter-may be related to the consumption of proteins. The results also point to the existence of differences in diet between men and women.

Vegetation and climate change since 14,810 14C yr B.P. in southeastern Uruguay and implications for the rise of early Formative societies

This article presents a combined pollen and phytolith record of a 1.70-m sediment core from the wetlands of India Muerta (33° 42′ S, 53° 57′ W) in the lowland Pampa (grasslands) of southeastern Uruguay. Six 14C dates and the pollen and phytolith content of the samples permitted the recognition of four distinct climatic periods between 14,850 14C yr B.P. and the present. The Late Pleistocene period (between ca. 14,810 and ca. 10,000 14C yr B.P.) was characterized by drier and cooler conditions indicated by the presence of a C3-dominated grassland. These conditions prevailed until the onset of the warmer and more humid climate of the Holocene around 9450 14C yr B.P. The early Holocene (between around 10,000 and 6620 14C yr B.P.) was characterized by the establishment of wetlands in the region as evidenced by the formation of black peat, the increase in wetland taxa, and the replacement of C3 Pooideae by C4 Panicoideae grasses. During the mid-Holocene, around 6620 14C yr B.P., began a period of environmental change characterized by drier climatic conditions, which resulted in the expansion of halophytic communities in the flat, low-lying areas of the wetlands of India Muerta. About 4020 14C yr B.P. a massive spike of Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae coupled with a radical drop in wetland species indicates another major and more severe period of dryness. After ca. 4000 14C yr B.P., a decrease of halophytic species indicates the onset of more humid and stable climatic conditions, which characterized the late Holocene.The findings reported in this article substantially improve our knowledge of the late Glacial and Holocene climate and vegetation in the region. The data provide a detailed record of the timing and severity of mid-Holocene environmental changes in southeastern South America. Significantly, the mid-Holocene drying trend coincided with major organizational changes in settlement, subsistence, and technology of the pre-Hispanic populations in the region, which gave rise to early Formative societies. This study also represents the first combined pollen and phytolith record for southeastern South America reinforcing the utility of phytoliths as significant indicators of long-term grassland dynamics.

Detecting “Invisible” Dwellings in the Maya Area Using Electromagnetic Induction: Significant Findings of a Pilot Study at Chau Hiix, Belize

AbstractSettlement studies of the prehispanic Lowland Maya have tended to rely upon dwelling remains that are visible at the ground surface, though floors and living surfaces that leave no surface indications are known to exist. Such “invisible” dwellings have been encountered beneath platforms and in “vacant terrain” lacking surface indications of architecture, and given more systematic attention, could represent a sizable and socially significant segment of the prehispanic populations in the region. This paper describes the application of electromagnetic induction, a geophysical technique, for locating nonplatform dwellings at Chau Hiix, Belize. A conductivity signature for nonplatform dwellings was identified that includes plaster, nonplatform floors, both in an area of vacant terrain and beneath a residential terrace, in association with trash pits and episodes of limestone bedrock mining, presumably for the acquisition of raw material for the floor. The technique also holds promise for locating ground-level floors, use-areas, and possibly footpaths. While this pilot study was limited in scope, it demonstrates the enormous potential of electromagnetic induction for locating these otherwise elusive features.

Dental caries among the prehispanic population from Gran Canaria

The island of Gran Canaria was inhabited in pre-Hispanic times by people of North African origin who arrived on the island towards the second half of the first millennium BC. In previous studies, we reported that there are some differences between the coastal inhabitants from Gran Canaria, mainly buried in tumuli, and those from the central mountains, mainly buried in caves. For example, the prevalence of auricular exostoses is higher among the population interred in coastal tumuli when compared with the inland population. This finding may be explained by the practice of marine activities, as supported by chroniclers' reports, by archaeological data, and by bone trace-element analysis, which point to a more intense consumption of marine products by the inhabitants of the coastal regions. Dental caries epidemiology is one of the most important ways in which the diet of past populations can be reconstructed. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence and intensity of caries among the pre-Hispanic population of Gran Canaria, in order to increase our knowledge about the dietary habits of these people, and to search for differences among the population buried in caves and that buried in tumuli. We studied a total of 791 individuals. Sex was estimated in 561 cases, and age at death, following Brothwell's criteria, in 549. We found that 66.95% of individuals buried in caves and 58.91% of those buried in tumuli showed at least one carious lesion. The proportion of carious teeth was significantly higher among the population buried in caves (median = 15.71%, interquartile range (IR) = 0-33.33%) than among the population buried in tumuli (median = 6.25%, IR = 0-20%, P = 0.001). Type of burial is the main factor associated with the proportion of carious teeth.These data suggest that the population buried in caves had a different dietary pattern from that of those buried in tumuli.