Procesos de formación del registro arqueológico en el sitio Cortaderas (partido de San Cayetano, provincia de Buenos Aires)

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Abstract

En este artículo se presentan los primeros resultados del estudio de los procesos de formación del sitio Cortaderas (partido de San Cayetano, provincia de Buenos Aires), especialmente aquellos vinculados a la formación del conjunto faunístico recuperado en la unidad sedimentaria II y en la sección superior de la unidad III. La unidad II se corresponde con sedimentos vinculados a una antigua planicie de inundación y está ubicada temporalmente en el Holoceno tardío. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es identificar los procesos culturales y naturales que participaron en la formación del conjunto faunístico para comenzar a discutir su historia tafonómica. Los análisis arqueofaunísticos apoyan la explotación de recursos animales en el sitio, principalmente guanaco (Lama guanicoe) y secundariamente venado de las pampas (Ozotoceros bezoarticus). Aunque se recuperó gran número de placas de armadillos y restos asignados a otros taxa, no hay evidencias seguras de su aprovechamiento. El conjunto faunístico presenta un alto grado de fragmentación. Las raíces y los animales cavadores parecen ser los principales agentes naturales responsables de esta característica. Otro factor que puede haber contribuido al alto grado de fragmentación es el procesamiento antrópico.

Translated abstract

This article presents the preliminary results of the study of the formation processes at Cortaderas site (San Cayetano District, Buenos Aires Province), specifically those processes related to the formation of the faunal assemblage recovered in the geological unit II and in the upper section of unit III. Unit II is composed of sediments related to an ancient floodplain, and a radiocarbon date from a fragmented bone places the unit within the late Holocene period. The main objective of this work is to identify the cultural and natural processes that participated in the formation of the faunal assemblage. The zooarchaeological analysis supports the anthropic utilization of animal resources at the site, particularly guanaco (Lama guanicoe) and, secondly, pampean deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus). Although a large number of armadillo plates and specimens of other taxa were recovered, there is no strong evidence for their exploitation. The faunal remains present a high degree of fragmentation. Root action and burrowing animals appear to be the main natural agents responsible for the fragmentation. Another possible contributing factor to the high degree of fragmentation is anthropic processing.

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Taphonomic and ecologic information from bone weathering

Anna K. Behrensmeyer (1978)

Bones of recent mammals in the Amboseli Basin, southern Kenya, exhibit distinctive weathering characteristics that can be related to the time since death and to the local conditions of temperature, humidity and soil chemistry. A categorization of weathering characteristics into six stages, recognizable on descriptive criteria, provides a basis for investigation of weathering rates and processes. The time necessary to achieve each successive weathering stage has been calibrated using known-age carcasses. Most bones decompose beyond recognition in 10 to 15 yr. Bones of animals under 100 kg and juveniles appear to weather more rapidly than bones of large animals or adults. Small-scale rather than widespread environmental factors seem to have greatest influence on weathering characteristics and rates. Bone weathering is potentially valuable as evidence for the period of time represented in recent or fossil bone assemblages, including those on archeological sites, and may also be an important tool in censusing populations of animals in modern ecosystems.