Stable isotopes and human diet in central western Argentina

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science Vol. 38; no. 7; pp. 1395 - 1404
• Main Authors: Gil, Adolfo F., Neme, Gustavo A., Tykot, Robert H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: America and Arctic regions; Central western Argentina; Excavation and methods; Generalities; Human diet; Laboratory methods; Maize consumption; Methodology and general studies; Physical and chemical analysis; Prehistory and protohistory; South America; Stable isotopes; Precolombian; South America; Argentina; America; South America; Central western Argentina; Human diet; Stable isotopes; Maize consumption; Isotope; Diet; Collagen; Maize; Tooth; Bone; Human remain
• ISSN: 0305-4403; 1095-9238
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2011.01.010

Central western Argentina is the southern boundary of prehispanic maize in the archaeological record. This paper explores the stable isotope information from human bone (δ
13C, from collagen and δ
13C from apatite) and tooth (δ
13C from enamel) samples in order to characterize the temporal and spatial trends of these isotopes and to understand them in terms of human diet. We analyzed 104 human individuals from the last 6000 years. Using the
Kellner and Schoeninger (2007) model the results shows a high variation in human diet with few human individuals with a notably high significance of C
4 plants (probably maize) as an energy source and these samples have a chronology around
ca. 1000 years BP. On the other hand a high variation in an individual’s dietary life history is shown by differences between δ
13C collagen, apatite and enamel.
► Maize consumption in southern America farming frontier has never significant in the human diet. ► Maize consumption significance in the human diet was highly variable in Central Western Argentina. ► Only after
ca. 1000 years BP the maize could be significant in some individual and mostly in North of Central Western Argentina.