Artículos/Papers by Alejandra Gasco
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2021
The Andes are a unique geological and biogeographic feature of South America. From the perspectiv... more The Andes are a unique geological and biogeographic feature of South America. From the perspective of human geography, this mountain range provides ready access to highly diverse altitudinally arranged ecosystems. The combination of a geologically and ecologically diverse landscape provides an exceptional context to explore the potential of strontium isotopes to track the movements of people and the conveyance of material culture. Here we develop an isotopic landscape of bioavailable strontium (87Sr/86Sr) that is applied to reconstruct human paleogeography across time in the southern Andes of Argentina and Chile (31 •-34 • S). These results come from a macro-regional sampling of rodents (N = 65) and plants (N = 26) from modern and archeological contexts. This "Southern Andean Strontium Transect" extends over 350 km across the Andes, encompassing the main geological provinces between the Pacific coast (Chile) and the eastern lowlands (Argentina). We follow a recently developed approach to isoscape construction based on Random Forest regression and GIS analysis. Our results suggest that bioavailable strontium is tightly linked with bedrock geology and offers a highly resolved proxy to track human paleogeography involving the levels of territories or daily mobility and anomalous events that disrupt home ranges, such as migration. The Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution | www.frontiersin.org 1 March 2021 | Volume 9 | Article 584325
Scientific Reports. Nature Research, 2020
We present isotopic and morphometric evidence suggesting the migration of farmers in the southern... more We present isotopic and morphometric evidence suggesting the migration of farmers in the southern Andes in the period AD 1270-1420, leading up to the Inka conquest occurring ~AD 1400. This is based on the interdisciplinary study of human remains from archaeological cemeteries in the Andean Uspallata Valley (Argentina), located in the southern frontier of the Inka Empire. The studied samples span AD 800-1500, encompassing the highly dynamic Late Intermediate Period and culminating with the imperial expansion. Our research combines a macro-regional study of human paleomobility and migration based on a new strontium isotopic landscape across the Andes that allows identifying locals and migrants, a geometric morphometric analysis of cranio-facial morphology suggesting separate ancestral lineages, and a paleodietary reconstruction based on stable isotopes showing that the migrants had diets exceptionally high in C4 plants. Hence, migrants? subsistence was largely based on maize agriculture. Significantly, this migration influx occurred during a period of regional demographic increase and would have been part of a widespread period of change in settlement patterns and population movements that preceded the Inka expansion. These processes would have increased local social diversity and may have been subsequently utilized by the Inka to channel interaction with the local societies.
Relaciones de la Sociedad Argentina de Antropología , 2020
Se sintetizan los análisis osteométricos realizados sobre un conjunto de especímenes óseos asigna... more Se sintetizan los análisis osteométricos realizados sobre un conjunto de especímenes óseos asignado a camélidos de dos sitios de la Precordillera de Mendoza: Agua de la Cueva y Los Hornillos. Ambos se ubican en ambientes de altura (>2.500 m s.n.m.), son aptos para el pasto- reo de camélidos e integran vías de comunicación entre los valles intermontanos y la Planicie oriental. Los registros analizados cubren un período comprendido entre 1800 y 400 años AP, lapso en el que pudieron consolidarse las actividades pecuarias en la región. Se contribuye al conocimiento de la subsistencia humana en ambientes de altura al discriminar entre especies silvestres y domésticas de camélidos. Se definen las prácticas económicas implementadas, las tácticas de manejo de riesgo y los patrones de movilidad. Se concluye que estos sitios formaron parte de un circuito mayor de movilidad y fueron ocupados estacional y recurrentemente para el aprovechamiento de pasturas y otros recursos bióticos y abióticos.
Paisajes Áridos y Semi-Áridos, 2019
Resumen Mediante este trabajo se da cuenta del proceso de construcción de recursos interpretativo... more Resumen Mediante este trabajo se da cuenta del proceso de construcción de recursos interpretativos (guionado, diseño, producción y montaje de cartelería) para el sitio rupestre Cerro Tunduqueral, situado en Uspallata, provincia de Mendoza. Esta tarea surge ante una situación de emergencia, la degradación de los petroglifos del sitio como consecuencia del desarrollo de explotación turística desmedida y sin regulación. Teniendo en cuenta la multiplicidad de actores que se apropian del sitio arqueológico y la urgencia por contener o al menos guiar el aprovechamiento turístico, se consideró pertinente visibilizar el conocimiento científico que allí se genera a través de una tarea de extensión y socialización, en la que además se refleje la participación interdisciplinaria. En este marco, se reconoce que la construcción de recursos interpretativos constituye apenas lo posible de uno de los tantos aspectos que deben ser abordados para una gestión integral de sitios patrimoniales (investigación, protección, conservación/restauración, comunicación/didáctica, capacitación). Palabras clave: Arte rupestre, Socialización del conocimiento, Gestión patrimonial. Resumo Através deste trabalho, é relatado o processo de construção de recursos interpretativos (script, design, produção e montagem de sinalização) para o sítio rupestre Cerro Tunduqueral, localizado em Uspallata, província de Mendoza. Esta tarefa surge antes de uma situação de emergência, a degradação dos petroglifos do site como conseqüência do desenvolvimento da exploração turística excessiva e sem regulação. Tendo em conta a multiplicidade de atores que se adequam ao sítio arqueológico e a urgência de conter ou, pelo menos, orientar o uso do turismo, foi considerado pertinente visibilizar o
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019
Strontium isotopes allow tracking the scale and pattern of movements of people and animals. With ... more Strontium isotopes allow tracking the scale and pattern of movements of people and animals. With the ultimate goal of reconstructing human mobility in the southern Andes (Argentina and Chile), we present isotopic values for rodent samples selected from the main geological units, thus contributing to building a macro-regional framework of bioavailable strontium. The results show an important variation between geological units with little isotopic overlap between the young western Principal Cordillera (0.70393 ± 0.0005), Eastern Principal Cordillera (0.70563 ± 0.0001), Frontal Cordillera (0.70670 ± 0.00087), and the old Precordillera (0.70946 ± 0.00073) east of the Andes. This substantiates the potential of this approach for archaeological and paleoecological analyses in the southern Andes. We also present the first set of isotopic results for wild and domesticated camelids from the southern Andes, suggesting that home ranges were similar. We reconsider published results for human samples from the last 2000 years in Mendoza Province (Argentina), a period characterised by intense socio-economic change. The observed pattern suggests little systematic human mobility between geological regions across the Andes. While this may not necessarily indicate low mobility, it clearly goes against scenarios of high residential mobility, as suggested on the basis of other isotope systems.
Journal of the Brazilian Society of Paleontology, 2019
The camelids of Cueva Tunel (Santa Cruz): from the osteometry, towards a differentiation of speci... more The camelids of Cueva Tunel (Santa Cruz): from the osteometry, towards a differentiation of species. We present a multivariate osteometric analysis on the first camelid phalanges from the archaeological site Cueva Túnel (10,500 years 14 C BP), Central Plateau of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. We discriminate between fore and hind phalanges. We classify the elements taxonomically by means of Conglomerate and Principal Component analyses. The results show a wide metric variability of the elements assigned to the family Camelidae. We confirm the presence of three camelid morphotypes in a limited temporal range (10,500/10,000 years 14 C BP) during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. We hypothesize that these types correspond to Lama guanicoe, a larger species such as Hemiauchenia paradoxa, and at least one smaller taxa such as Lama gracilis or Vicugna vicugna. Importantly, all these species would have shared the same ecological niche. This work provides the first morphometric assessment conducted upon extinct camelids from this Patagonian region.
Revista del Museo de Antropología 11 (1): 7-14, 2018 / ISSN 1852-060X (impreso) / ISSN 1852-4826 (electrónico), 2018
Guanacos y ecología isotópica en el norte del Neuquén: El registro de Cueva Huenul 1 Guanacos and... more Guanacos y ecología isotópica en el norte del Neuquén: El registro de Cueva Huenul 1 Guanacos and isotopic ecology in northern Neuquen: The record from Cueva Huenul 1 Resumen En este trabajo se presentan los primeros resultados de ecología isotópica regional para el extremo norte de la provincia del Neuquén (Argentina). Esta información es clave para la reconstrucción de cambios ecológicos y paleodietas humanas a través del tiempo. Se exponen los resultados obtenidos a partir de la medición de isótopos estables de carbono (13 C/ 12 C) y nitrógeno (15 N/ 14 N) sobre el colágeno óseo de 39 muestras de fauna y una muestra humana procedentes de sitios arqueológicos de la localidad Barrancas-Buta Ranquil. Se presentan datos para cinco especies silvestres, aunque el foco del análisis se centra en guanaco (Lama guanicoe). La información es interpretada en el marco de los resultados obtenidos de muestreos de vegetación en la región, los cuales indican la distribución y abundancia de especies con las distintas vías fotosintéticas. Debido a su posición, adyacente al ecotono entre las comunidades fitogeográficas del Monte y la Patagonia, la región ofrece un contexto adecuado para el análisis de cambios ecológicos a través del tiempo. La totalidad de las especies vegetales relevadas en el muestreo sistemático siguen la vía fotosintética C 3. En concordancia con esto, los valores de especies animales fueron relacionados a una cadena trófica C 3. El entierro humano del sitio Buta Có Abajo registró valores que sugieren una dieta compuesta por guanacos y que además incluyó animales pequeños con valores más enriquecidos. En cuanto a los guanacos, se registraron diferencias isotópicas entre las muestras asignadas al Holoceno temprano y el tardío; estas últimas reflejan un mayor consumo de especies con vía fotosintética C 3. Por último, en este conjunto de muestras, no se registró relación entre la altitud y los valores isotópicos de δ 13 C y δ 15 N, mientras que se observaría una tendencia latitudinal en la que los camélidos del centro sur de Mendoza presentan un mayor consumo de especies vegetales C 4 que las procedentes del norte de Neuquén. Palabras clave: Isótopos estables; Paleoecología de guanacos; Patagonia septentrional; Ecología del Monte; Paleodieta humana. Abstract In this work we present the first systematic results about regional isotopic ecology in northern Neuquén Province (Argentina). This information is essential to reconstruct ecological changes and human paleodiets through time. We conducted analyses of stable isotopes of carbon (13 C/ 12 C) and nitrogen (15 N/ 14 N) on the collagen fraction of bone from one human sample and 39 faunal samples from archaeological sites in Barrancas-Buta Ranquil locality. The results correspond to five wild species, though analysis is focused in guanaco (Lama guanicoe). The information produced is interpreted in the framework of regional botanical surveys that show the differential abundance of species with
Relaciones de la Sociedad Argentina de Antropolog a XLIII (1), enero-junio 2018: xx-xx, 2018
Se ha realizado una investigación interdisciplinaria sobre los restos óseos humanos y acompañamie... more Se ha realizado una investigación interdisciplinaria sobre los restos óseos humanos y acompañamientos funerarios procedentes del enterratorio Barrio Ramos I localizado en el valle de Uspallata (Mendoza, Argentina). Se rebate la asignación al Período Agroalfarero Tardío que se ha hecho de este sitio. Un estudio bayesiano de los fechados obtenidos y su comparación con otro similar de sitios incaicos de la región permiten ubicar a Barrio Ramos I dentro del período de dominación incaica y retrotraer su inicio casi un siglo. El análisis de los diseños de artefactos líticos, cerámicos y óseos que acompañan a los entierros y otras características contextuales a rman esta propuesta. A través de estudios isotópicos y bioarqueológicos, se ofrece también información novedosa sobre aspectos del modo de vida y procedencia de algunos de los individuos hallados.
We present an interdisciplinary research of the human remains and grave goods recovered from the Barrio Ramos I burial, localized in the Uspallata Valley (Mendoza, Argentina). We reassess the traditional assignment of the site to the late ‘Agroalfarero’period. Based on a bayesian analysis of the available radiocarbon dates for the site, and by integrating regional contexts with similar chronology, we suggest that Barrio Ramos I falls within the period of Inca domination. The analysis of lithic, ceramic, and bone artifacts recovered from the burial support this inference. By means of isotopic and bioarchaeological studies of the remains, we offer valuable insights on the lifeway and geographic origin of some of the individuals found at the site.
Cuadernos del Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano - Series Especiales, 2018
Se sintetizan los resultados alcanzados en una investigación zooarqueológica, con énfasis en estu... more Se sintetizan los resultados alcanzados en una investigación zooarqueológica, con énfasis en estudios osteométricos y estadística multivariada sobre restos de Camelidae, encarada en diferentes ambientes (Cordillera, Precordillera, Valles intermontanos) del Centro-Oeste Argentino. Los datos brindaron in-formación relevante no sólo a nivel arqueológico sino también biológico y ecológico. Se documentó, mediante el estudio de restos arqueofaunísticos, la presencia de guanacos, vicuñas, llamas y de un mor-fotipo particular que se catalogó como llama castrada en los siete sitios arqueológicos en estudio. La articulación de los nuevos datos zooarqueológicos obtenidos con la información contextual permitió generar un panorama regional sobre las estrategias económicas desarrolladas por los grupos humanos pasados. Se estableció que la combinación de múltiples estrategias (caza, recolección, pastoreo, cultivo e intercambio) tuvieron lugar en el escenario temporo-espacial estudiado (alrededor de 2000 años AP, y en un único sitio se remonta a casi 5000 años AP) como tecnologías para afrontar el riesgo en un am-biente tan variable como el que habitaron. Esta investigación genera algunas conclusiones que dan con-tinuidad y otras que proponen ajustes o modificaciones a muchos de los planteos teóricos y propuestas sostenidas en la arqueología regional del Centro-Oeste Argentino. También, a partir de ella se incorpora en el debate sobre el pastoreo de camélidos, la vertiente occidental de la Cordillera de Los Andes, como escenario de desarrollo cultural vinculado directamente al registrado en el Centro-Oeste. Con ello, los límites geográficos de las investigaciones se flexibilizan y se enriquecen tanto los métodos como los resultados logrados, mediante nuevas discusiones sobre el pasado regional. PALABRAS CLAVE: Centro-Oeste Argentino, camélidos, osteometría, estrategias de subsistencia. ABSTRACT The conclusions of a archaeozoological research are given to know in this paper, with special emphasis on osteometrics studies and multitype statistics about Camelidae family remains, seen these from different ecosystems (mountain range, foothills and inner valleys) of the Argentine Mid-west. The data collected show very important information, not only to archaeology but also ecology and biology. It was discovered, by analysing archaeofaunistycs remains, the presence of guanacos, vicuñas, llama and a morphotype that was catalogued as castrated llama in the seven archaeological sites that were under study. The mixing of the new zooarchaeological data obtained with the site information, allow us to establish a regional picture of the economical strategies developed by its ancient inhabitants. It was established that the combination of different strategies (hunt, recollection, herding, farming and trading) have been taking place from 2000 AP, and in a single site from 5000 AP due the fact that they must withstand and prosper in very variable and shifting ecosystems with high risks. This research presents us with some conclusions that continue and propose reviewing or corrections to many archaeological theories and propositions about the Argentine Mid-West. Also, we have included in the debate, camelids herding on the west side of the Andes as a cultural development tided tightly with the Argentine Mid-1
Revista ARCHAEOBIOS No 11, Vol. 1 Diciembre 2017 ISSN 1996-5214, 2017
Este trabajo se inserta en un proyecto mayor de investigación que tiene como objetivo principal c... more Este trabajo se inserta en un proyecto mayor de investigación que tiene como objetivo principal contribuir al conocimiento de la subsistencia humana en el Centro-Oeste argentino. Especialmente, se refiere al aprovechamiento de camélidos, estableciendo la presencia de diversos morfotipos (silvestres y domésticos), y determinando las estrategias económicas implementadas para su consumo, por parte de los pobladores de la región a lo largo del Holoceno. Frente a la necesidad de precisar la identificación de restos arqueológicos de camélidos se aplican variadas técnicas de análisis, siendo las más frecuentes: osteometría, morfología de incisivos y fibras, y recientemente isótopos estables y ADNa. Cada una presenta fortalezas y limitaciones, y por ello se considera que su combinación podría mejorar la discriminación buscada. Se presentan, a modo de ejemplo, resultados de la combinación de osteometría, pruebas estadísticas multivariadas, isótopos y ADNa, realizada sobre un espécimen arqueológico, una escápula del sitio ARQ-18, con contexto fechado en 3090 años Cal. A.P. (3340-2870, 2 sigma), con el objetivo de lograr su identificación taxonómica. El espécimen testeado se identificó como vicuña, morfométricamente similar a seis especímenes comparativos actuales. En cambio, los resultados de isótopos no permitieron una discriminación taxonómica, mientras que el ADNa la alcanzó a nivel de subespecie para Vicugna. Frente a ello, se apunta a fortalecer la osteometría, pruebas estadísticas y colecciones de referencia, dado que han arrojado satisfactorios resultados en diversas partes de los Andes. Comparada con los otros métodos novedosos, tiene más potencia para distinguir entre camélidos domésticos y silvestres. Resulta más económica, no destructiva, puede aplicarse sobre una mayor cantidad de especímenes y con básicos requisitos en conservación, además sus resultados pueden replicarse.
The Andes mountain range is one key physiographic feature of South America with the potential to ... more The Andes mountain range is one key physiographic feature of South America with the potential to have acted as a barrier and corridor for human societies. The goal of this paper is to assess from where and how were the highlands utilized during the last 2000 years, which is a key period witnessing the development of productive economies and changes in the organization of mobility. We develop a regional case study focused on the highland wetland Laguna del Diamante (3300 masl), which is a highly productive ecosystem only accessible during summer. This case is based on a multidisciplinary approach combining: a) geochemical characterization of obsidian sources located in the highlands and artifacts; b) isotopic approach to ranges of paleomobility of individuals by means of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr; and c) stylistic study of ceramic assemblages. The two main obsidian types from the highlands have restricted and decaying spatial distribution, suggesting that these archaeological distributions track part of human circuits of mobility instead of indirect transport acquisition. Their archaeological distribution is heavily skewed towards the western Andean slope. We present strontium isotope values for four teeth and bone samples from two individuals recovered in the area, which are interpreted in reference to a preliminary baseline of biologically available strontium. We infer that these individuals had ranges of paleomobility systematically connecting the western slope with the highlands. The analysis of the ceramic assemblages shows that most of the diagnostic sherds can be assigned to styles that have distributional cores in the Central Valley of Chile up until the time of Inca presence, while only a minimum portion of the sample can be assigned to distributional cores on the eastern slope. By integrating the patterns in the transport of obsidian and ceramic artifacts and the paleomobility of individuals, we find support for the existence of dominant access to the highlands from the western Andean slope. A GIS-based analysis of the seasonality of precipitation shows that the western slope presents more pronounced and drier summer months, providing a context that contributes to explain these patterns. These results contradict previous interpretations suggesting that the archaeological record from the highlands is more directly tied to human groups inhabiting the eastern lowlands during most of the year. Beyond the geographic debate, this issue has an impact on the subsistence organization of the incoming groups, on the socioeconomic role of the highlands, and on the demographic contexts leading to trajectories of economic intensification in both Andean slopes. This research contributes to build a framework for comparative research on human use of highland environments.
Objectives: The goal of this article is to assess the scale of human paleomobility and ecological... more Objectives: The goal of this article is to assess the scale of human paleomobility and ecological complementarity between the lowlands and highlands in the southern Andes during the last 2,300 years. By providing isotope results for human bone and teeth samples, we assess a hypothesis of " high residential mobility " suggested on the basis of oxygen isotopes from human remains. Methods: We develop an isotopic assessment of human mobility in a mountain landscape combining strontium and oxygen isotopes. We analyze bone and teeth samples as an approach to life-history changes in spatial residence. Human samples from the main geological units and periods within the last two millennia are selected. Results: We present a framework for the analysis of bioavailable strontium based on the combination of the geological data with isotope results for rodent samples. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values from human samples indicate residential stability within geological regions along life history. When comparing strontium and oxygen values for the same human samples, we record a divergent pattern: while d 18 O values for samples from distant regions overlap widely, there are important differences in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values. Conclusions: Despite the large socioeconomic changes recorded, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values indicate a persisting scenario of low systematic mobility between the different geological regions. Our results suggest that strontium isotope values provide the most germane means to track patterns of human occupation of distinct regions in complex geological landscapes, offering a much higher spatial resolution than oxygen isotopes in the southern Andes.
Abstract
This study addresses the risk-management activities of Andean pastoralists in northweste... more Abstract
This study addresses the risk-management activities of Andean pastoralists in northwestern, Mendoza. We compare data from one high-altitude site, Agua de la Cueva, located near a spring and an excellent hunting ground, and a domestic pit house at the site San Ignacio in a nearby mountain valley. We analyze data from roughly contemporaneous contexts dating to 1100–1400 cal BP. Osteometric measurements of camelid post-cranial bones and comparisons to modern camelids with multivariate statistics confirmed the presence of wild guanacos and vicuñas as well as castrated and uncastrated domestic llamas. Hence, this is one of the southernmost areas where Andean pastoralism was practiced. Petrographic analysis of pottery and comparisons to local geology suggest strong similarities between the sites. Similar fabrics suggest a closely-connected group that probably made effective and complementary use of these two environments. Previous studies have established the presence of vessels from the other side of the Andes indicating long-distance contacts between populations on both sides of the Andes. These contacts may have been made via caravans that included castrated llamas, which are ethnographically preferred among drovers. The possibility of caravans is a hypothesis to be tested with future research. Our data suggest these groups participated in seasonal and perhaps long-distance movements in addition to other activities such as hunting, herding, and storing food. The combination of these risk-management strategies provided a stable economic base for the potters and herders of northwestern Mendoza. This case can be broadly compared to better-known archaeological and ethnographic examples from other parts of the Andes.
Keywords
Agro-pastoralism; Risk-management; Petrography; Camelid osteometry; Environmental complementarity; Mobility
Resumen
Veranadas sin frontera. Etnografía de pastores en el Centro-Oeste argentino
Alejandra Gas... more Resumen
Veranadas sin frontera. Etnografía de pastores en el Centro-Oeste argentino
Alejandra Gasco*, Víctor Durán**, Laura Piazze***, Miguel Giardina**** y Guillermo Campos*****
*CONICET, Laboratorio de Paleoecología Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, U.N.Cuyo. E-mail: soljandra@gmail.com; **CONICET, Laboratorio de Paleoecología Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, U.N.Cuyo. E-mail: duranvic@gmail.com; ***Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, U.N.Cuyo. E-mail: laura.piazze@gmail.com; ****CONICET. Museo de Historia Natural de San Rafael, Mendoza. E-mail: miguelgiardina@hotmail.com; *****Museo de Ciencias Naturales y Antropológicas “Juan Cornelio Moyano”, Mendoza.
Dentro de un proyecto mayor de investigación arqueológica, se diseñó una propuesta de acercamiento etnográfico que aportara en esa línea. La misma se basa en la observación participante y descripción de la vida cotidiana de un grupo actual de pastores de ganado caprino que hacen uso de los valles de la Cordillera del Límite en el SO de San Juan durante la época estival -veranadas-. Los grupos estudiados y su actividad constituyen la única evidencia de trashumancia y pastoreo de altura desarrollado actualmente en la región. Esta estrategia permite dar cuenta de la continuidad de ciertas prácticas culturales tradicionales en áreas de frontera, pese al reciente establecimiento de normas restrictivas por parte de Estados Nacionales. A partir de ello se desprenden interrogantes que se escapan de los objetivos iniciales, vinculados a cómo estos grupos conciben la frontera, el territorio, en función de su dinámica de movimiento y uso de ambientes de altura.
Palabras clave: pastores; valles altoandinos; trashumancia; Argentina; Chile.
Abstract
As part of a larger research project, an ethnographic project was carried out in central western Argentina. It was based on participant–observation of the everyday life of a modern group of goat herders that make summer stays -veranadas- in the high-mountain valleys in the Andes in the southwest of the province of San Juan. In this region, these are the only documented transhumant groups. Seasonal movements between the Argentine highlands and the Chilean lowlands show evidence of long-term continuity of some traditional cultural practices in spite of national laws that restrict movement in areas near the international border. This research led to questions that went beyond the initial research design to include the ways these groups understand the international border territory and the ways it affects their movements and use of mountain environments.
Keywords: herders; Andean valleys; transhumance; Argentina; Chile.
Intersecciones en Antropología 15: 131-138. , Sep 1, 2014
La osteometría, sumada a distintos análisis estadísticos, se presenta como una alternativa válida... more La osteometría, sumada a distintos análisis estadísticos, se presenta como una alternativa válida para la diferenciación interespecífica de camélidos sudamericanos. El presente trabajo pretende sintetizar los diferentes protocolos disponibles para la primera falange de camélidos, como así también realizar una comparación entre los mismos. Con ello se esperan esclarecer discordancias y equivalencias entre las guías, tendiente a mejorar el método, ofreciendo un análisis crítico de cómo se propusieron y cómo se emplean. Dado que ciertas variables propuestas, en los diferentes protocolos, pueden confundirse, el uso comparativo de los datos aportados por distintas investigaciones resultaría dificultoso y dudoso. Revertir esta situación puede derivar en un mayor y comunitario empleo de datos crudos de variables estandarizadas. Lo cual resulta un modo simple y rápido de acrecentar la información métrica de huesos postcraneales de camélidos en los Andes. De este modo, la aplicación de estos estudios cuantitativos logrará interpretaciones más confiables, al considerar la variabilidad de especies y morfotipos de camélidos actuales y potencialmente presente en contextos arqueológicos.
Osteometry, combined with different statistical analysis, is an effective means of differentiating South American camelid species. This paper synthesizes and compares different measurement protocols for the first phalange. We aim to clarify discrepant and equivalent measurements from different protocols, with the aim of improving the methodology. With common confusion between measurements, comparisons between published data by different investigations remain difficult and tenuous. Correcting this situation may lead to more widespread and communal use of raw data based on standardized measurements. This is a simple and straightforward means of making better use of the few postcranial metric data available for camelids in the Andes. It should lead to osteometric studies with more reliable interpretations, which may begin to take into account the variability of modern camelid species and morphotypes, as well as those potentially present in archaeological contexts.
Arqueología de Ambiente de Altura de Mendoza y San Juan (Argentina), coordinado por V. Cortegoso, V. Durán y A. Gasco. EDIUNC, Mendoza, Cap 8: 171-202. ISBN:978-950-39-03087., Nov 1, 2014
Se presentan los resultados del análisis arqueofaunístico efectuado sobre una muestra del materia... more Se presentan los resultados del análisis arqueofaunístico efectuado sobre una muestra del material óseo proveniente del sitio arqueológico Lama arq-18 de la provincia de San Juan. El mismo cuenta con una secuencia estratigráfica que comprende todo el Holoceno. Se aplican análisis de abundancia taxonómica y relativa de partes esqueletales, además de controles tafonómicos. A partir de la osteometría sobre las primeras falanges y de análisis bi y multivariados, se intenta discriminar las especies de camélidos representadas en el sitio. Ello permite indagar sobre las estrategias de subsistencia adoptadas por sus pobladores a lo largo de la secuencia ocupacional, estableciendo sus cambios y continuidades, así como también ofrecer información relevante en cuanto a los patrones de movilidad y uso del espacio.
This chapter presents the results of the faunal analysis of archaeological material from the site Lama arq-18, located in the province of San Juan. The site’s stratigraphic sequence spans the entire Holocene. The specific analyses include taxonomic abundance and relative abundance of skeletal parts, considered in terms of taphonomic processes. Bi- and multivariate osteometric analyses of the first phalanges are used to attempt to determine which camelid species were present at the site. These results address changes and continuities in inhabitants’ subsistence strategies over the duration of the occupational sequence. Furthermore, the results offer information relevant to understanding mobility patterns and use of space.
Arqueología de Ambiente de Altura de Mendoza y San Juan (Argentina), coordinado por V. Cortegoso, V. Durán y A. Gasco. EDIUNC, Mendoza. Cap12:307-359. ISBN:978-950-39-03087., Nov 1, 2014
Se presenta la descripción y evaluación métrica de la base de datos de referencia para la familia... more Se presenta la descripción y evaluación métrica de la base de datos de referencia para la familia Camelidae empleada en estudios arqueofaunísticos de discriminación taxonómica en la región Cuyo o subárea arqueológica Centro-Oeste Argentino. El análisis morfométrico de la colección actual refina las asignaciones taxonómicas resultantes de la aplicación de los estudios cuantitativos. Se han podido precisar los rangos de tamaño/forma para guanaco y llama, mientras que para vicuñas se ha demostrado su gran variabilidad y para alpacas el rango utilizado es tentativo. En este marco se han discutido algunas alternativas para la generación de cambios en el tamaño corporal de cada especie. De ello surge una propuesta acerca del ordenamiento (gradiente) por tamaño en las especies de esta familia, diferente, en parte, a lo actualmente manejado.
This chapter presents the description and metric evaluation of the reference database for family Camelidae used in faunal studies that make taxonomic discriminations in the Cuyo region, also called the subarea of Central West Argentina. The morphometric analysis of the modern collection refines the taxonomic assignments that result from the application of quantitative studies. It was possible to improve the precision of size and form ranges for the guanaco and llama, while that of vicuñas shows strong variability, and that of alpacas remains tentative. In this framework, alternatives are discussed of the development of changes in body size of each species. This is the basis for a proposal for the order (gradient) by size of the species in this family, somewhat different from the one currently in use.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2013
Khonkho Wankane is a ceremonial center located in the southern Lake Titicaca Basin, Bolivia. Duri... more Khonkho Wankane is a ceremonial center located in the southern Lake Titicaca Basin, Bolivia. During the Late Formative period (AD 1-500), its residents practiced agropastoral lifeways and participated in the rise of the state at Tiwanaku. Like at many Andean sites, bones from the family Camelidae are the most abundant large mammal in domestic contexts. Identifying camelid morphotypes represented by these bones carries far-reaching implications for understanding past hunting, herding, and caravanning practices, and their roles in larger social and economic webs. Identifications were based on a locally focused reference collection, including llamas (Lama glama) from the immediate vicinity of the site, as well as Andean guanacos (Lama guanicoe), a much smaller morphotype than the Patagonian guanacos used in many osteometric studies. Multivariate statistical analyses and incisor morphology identified all four camelid. Different analyses suggest that the crux of osteometry lies in the reference collection, not the statistical test. An additional, very large morphotype likely corresponds to a castrated llama, the preferred cargo animal among modern drovers. The presence of these animals is interpreted as evidence that groups hunted vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) and guanaco, which are not currently present around the site, herded llamas and alpacas (Vicugna pacos), and perhaps organized caravans with castrated llamas.
Quaternary International, 2013
This paper explores the characteristics of human occupation in the area near the Argentine-Chilea... more This paper explores the characteristics of human occupation in the area near the Argentine-Chilean international boundary, in the Andes cordillera (northwest of San Juan province). Characteristics of human occupation of these high altitude environments and changes in subsistence strategies that occurred during the Middle Holocene are evaluated. The study is based on the analysis of the materials at the site located in a seasonally environment rich in resources. The paper contributes to knowledge of the function and the variability of socio-cultural systems of the past in Andean environments in the southern part of the Northwest Argentina region (NOA). The problem is approached from studies of the organi- zation of lithic technology, and osteometric analysis recovered at the ARQ-18 site. These studies indicate changes in subsistence and technological strategies of human groups that occupied ARQ-18, incorpo- rating herding activities in a chronological range between 5100 and 4300 BP.
Current Research in the Pleistocene, 2012
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Artículos/Papers by Alejandra Gasco
We present an interdisciplinary research of the human remains and grave goods recovered from the Barrio Ramos I burial, localized in the Uspallata Valley (Mendoza, Argentina). We reassess the traditional assignment of the site to the late ‘Agroalfarero’period. Based on a bayesian analysis of the available radiocarbon dates for the site, and by integrating regional contexts with similar chronology, we suggest that Barrio Ramos I falls within the period of Inca domination. The analysis of lithic, ceramic, and bone artifacts recovered from the burial support this inference. By means of isotopic and bioarchaeological studies of the remains, we offer valuable insights on the lifeway and geographic origin of some of the individuals found at the site.
This study addresses the risk-management activities of Andean pastoralists in northwestern, Mendoza. We compare data from one high-altitude site, Agua de la Cueva, located near a spring and an excellent hunting ground, and a domestic pit house at the site San Ignacio in a nearby mountain valley. We analyze data from roughly contemporaneous contexts dating to 1100–1400 cal BP. Osteometric measurements of camelid post-cranial bones and comparisons to modern camelids with multivariate statistics confirmed the presence of wild guanacos and vicuñas as well as castrated and uncastrated domestic llamas. Hence, this is one of the southernmost areas where Andean pastoralism was practiced. Petrographic analysis of pottery and comparisons to local geology suggest strong similarities between the sites. Similar fabrics suggest a closely-connected group that probably made effective and complementary use of these two environments. Previous studies have established the presence of vessels from the other side of the Andes indicating long-distance contacts between populations on both sides of the Andes. These contacts may have been made via caravans that included castrated llamas, which are ethnographically preferred among drovers. The possibility of caravans is a hypothesis to be tested with future research. Our data suggest these groups participated in seasonal and perhaps long-distance movements in addition to other activities such as hunting, herding, and storing food. The combination of these risk-management strategies provided a stable economic base for the potters and herders of northwestern Mendoza. This case can be broadly compared to better-known archaeological and ethnographic examples from other parts of the Andes.
Keywords
Agro-pastoralism; Risk-management; Petrography; Camelid osteometry; Environmental complementarity; Mobility
Veranadas sin frontera. Etnografía de pastores en el Centro-Oeste argentino
Alejandra Gasco*, Víctor Durán**, Laura Piazze***, Miguel Giardina**** y Guillermo Campos*****
*CONICET, Laboratorio de Paleoecología Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, U.N.Cuyo. E-mail: soljandra@gmail.com; **CONICET, Laboratorio de Paleoecología Humana, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, U.N.Cuyo. E-mail: duranvic@gmail.com; ***Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, U.N.Cuyo. E-mail: laura.piazze@gmail.com; ****CONICET. Museo de Historia Natural de San Rafael, Mendoza. E-mail: miguelgiardina@hotmail.com; *****Museo de Ciencias Naturales y Antropológicas “Juan Cornelio Moyano”, Mendoza.
Dentro de un proyecto mayor de investigación arqueológica, se diseñó una propuesta de acercamiento etnográfico que aportara en esa línea. La misma se basa en la observación participante y descripción de la vida cotidiana de un grupo actual de pastores de ganado caprino que hacen uso de los valles de la Cordillera del Límite en el SO de San Juan durante la época estival -veranadas-. Los grupos estudiados y su actividad constituyen la única evidencia de trashumancia y pastoreo de altura desarrollado actualmente en la región. Esta estrategia permite dar cuenta de la continuidad de ciertas prácticas culturales tradicionales en áreas de frontera, pese al reciente establecimiento de normas restrictivas por parte de Estados Nacionales. A partir de ello se desprenden interrogantes que se escapan de los objetivos iniciales, vinculados a cómo estos grupos conciben la frontera, el territorio, en función de su dinámica de movimiento y uso de ambientes de altura.
Palabras clave: pastores; valles altoandinos; trashumancia; Argentina; Chile.
Abstract
As part of a larger research project, an ethnographic project was carried out in central western Argentina. It was based on participant–observation of the everyday life of a modern group of goat herders that make summer stays -veranadas- in the high-mountain valleys in the Andes in the southwest of the province of San Juan. In this region, these are the only documented transhumant groups. Seasonal movements between the Argentine highlands and the Chilean lowlands show evidence of long-term continuity of some traditional cultural practices in spite of national laws that restrict movement in areas near the international border. This research led to questions that went beyond the initial research design to include the ways these groups understand the international border territory and the ways it affects their movements and use of mountain environments.
Keywords: herders; Andean valleys; transhumance; Argentina; Chile.
Osteometry, combined with different statistical analysis, is an effective means of differentiating South American camelid species. This paper synthesizes and compares different measurement protocols for the first phalange. We aim to clarify discrepant and equivalent measurements from different protocols, with the aim of improving the methodology. With common confusion between measurements, comparisons between published data by different investigations remain difficult and tenuous. Correcting this situation may lead to more widespread and communal use of raw data based on standardized measurements. This is a simple and straightforward means of making better use of the few postcranial metric data available for camelids in the Andes. It should lead to osteometric studies with more reliable interpretations, which may begin to take into account the variability of modern camelid species and morphotypes, as well as those potentially present in archaeological contexts.
This chapter presents the results of the faunal analysis of archaeological material from the site Lama arq-18, located in the province of San Juan. The site’s stratigraphic sequence spans the entire Holocene. The specific analyses include taxonomic abundance and relative abundance of skeletal parts, considered in terms of taphonomic processes. Bi- and multivariate osteometric analyses of the first phalanges are used to attempt to determine which camelid species were present at the site. These results address changes and continuities in inhabitants’ subsistence strategies over the duration of the occupational sequence. Furthermore, the results offer information relevant to understanding mobility patterns and use of space.
This chapter presents the description and metric evaluation of the reference database for family Camelidae used in faunal studies that make taxonomic discriminations in the Cuyo region, also called the subarea of Central West Argentina. The morphometric analysis of the modern collection refines the taxonomic assignments that result from the application of quantitative studies. It was possible to improve the precision of size and form ranges for the guanaco and llama, while that of vicuñas shows strong variability, and that of alpacas remains tentative. In this framework, alternatives are discussed of the development of changes in body size of each species. This is the basis for a proposal for the order (gradient) by size of the species in this family, somewhat different from the one currently in use.