Use of plants by hunter-gatherers at coastal sites: The case of Cabo San Pablo 2017 (Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the analysis of plant macroremains (except wood), primarily seeds and fruits, from Cabo San Pablo 2017 (CSP2017), an archaeological site close to the Atlantic coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. CSP2017 has a great diversity of archaeological materials, including faunal, lithic, carpological, and anthracological remains. The data are especially relevant due to the scarcity of information regarding plant use at coastal sites in the region. At CSP2017 eleven taxa were identified. The results obtained provide data on plant use at the site and, at the same time, enable discussion of the management and use of these types of resources on Isla Grande. By placing these results in context with previously studied coastal and hinterland sites, research at CSP2017 contributes to a better understanding of plant use by hunter-gatherers of the southernmost part of South America.

Keywords:

• Archaeobotany
• hunter-gatherers
• coastal sites
• carpology
• South America

Supplementary material

Table 5. – Absolute counts, densities (per liter of sediment) and relative frequencies (%) of charred carpological remains from sites of Tierra del Fuego (extracted from Berihuete-Azorín 2010). (Tres arroyos results were not included because there is not enough information on the specific taxa recovered and the litres of sediment analysed).

Acknowledgements

All the research in the central strip of Tierra del Fuego is part of Proyecto Arqueológico Corazón de la Isla (PACI, CONICET-CADIC). PIP 0319 (CONICET) to Aylen Capparelli. A.F.B is a CONICET doctoral fellow. We are thankful to H.-P. Stika for his advice and to the Archaeobtany laboratory of Hohenheim University. Special thanks to H. De Angelis, V. Parmigiani and MC. Alvarez Soncini for organizing and developing the field work. Finally, we are very grateful to the reviewers for their helpful comments on this paper.

Funding

M.B.-A. (2018 BP 00272) is a Beatriu de Pinos fellow (Secretary of Universities and Research, Government of Catalonia, and Horizon 2020 MSC grant agreement No 801370). She is hosted at IPHES-CERCA, which has received financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the “María de Maeztu” program for Units of Excellence (CEX2019-000945-M).