Mortality Profiles of Hunter-Gatherer Societies: A Case Study from the Eastern Pampa-Patagonia Transition (Argentina) During the Final Late Holocene

Abstract

The objectives of this work are to present a set of methodological procedures to analyze commingled bone assemblages (e.g., secondary burials), in order to build the mortality profile of the Paso Alsina 1 site, and discuss the obtained age at death distribution pattern in a context of hunter-gatherer populations that inhabited the eastern PampaPatagonian transition (Argentina) during the Final Late Holocene. The Paso Alsina 1 site is a formal disposal area of inhumations composed by multiple secondary burials dated at ca. 500 14 C years BP. The site is comprised of a minimum number of 77 individuals, represented by both sexes and all age categories. The mortality profile is characterized by a bimodal pattern with a peak of greater representation of individuals younger than three years, and another comprising the range between 20-34.9 years. These results are discussed in relation to the paleopathological information available for the site, indicating that individuals suffered mainly disruptions in growth and development by systemic stress. The mortality profile obtained suggests that this skeletal series would not have formed as a result of a catastrophic event. On the contrary, it is an atricional mortality profile, consisting of individuals who died at different times and places and for varied reasons. Later, skeletal remains were grouped into secondary bundles and simultaneously buried at the site. Body manipulation and secondary burials are common in the context of a social reorganization that occurred in the area and in neighboring regions during the Final Late Holocene.

Determinación del sexo a través de la métrica dental en cazadores recolectores de la transición pampeano-patagónica oriental

“…500 años AP) (Tabla 1; Figura 1; Flensborg 2012;Flensborg et al 2011;Martínez et al 2012). Del total de individuos, se consideraron en primera instancia solo aquellos de los cuales se pudo obtener previamente información sobre el sexo (NMI: 21; Tabla 1), a partir del relevamiento macroscópico tradicional de diferentes rasgos morfológicos del coxal, el sacro y/o el cranium (Buikstra y Ubelaker 1994; ver detalles en Flensborg et al 2015). En segunda instancia, se analizaron también cinco individuos de sexo indeterminado procedentes de Paso Alsina 1 (Tabla 1), que presentaban numerosos dientes disponibles para su medición y cuyos resultados fueron posteriormente evaluados para obtener información sexual a partir de ellos.…”

Taking care in prehistoric Latin America: A case study of care giving among hunter-gatherers in the Final Late Holocene

“…The individual under discussion was excavated at a cemetery called Chenque 1. Chenque 1 is located in a hilly semi-arid area within Lihue Calel National Park (Flensborg et al 2015). Cemetery sites such as this one provide some of the strongest insights into the hunter-gatherer lifestyles in the area.…”

“…950-1700 CE (Flensborg et al 2015:816). The aspects of daily life potentially affected by these changes are varied; however, several are likely to have been significant in this case: changes to territoriality, increased resource exploitation and increased social interaction and networking (Politis 2008;Flensborg 2011;Martínez et al 2012;Flensborg et al 2015).…”

Procesos De Formación Y Efectos Tafonómicos en Entierros Humanos: El Caso Del Sitio Paso Alsina 1 en Patagonia Nororiental Argentina

“…Los trabajos de excavación en PA1 permitieron recuperar un total de 10 entierros secundarios múltiples (dos de ellos se analizan en este trabajo) en los cuales se halla representado (Flensborg et al 2013), tomando como base los cráneos un NMI de 77. Los entierros fueron hallados en un área bien delimitada y de pequeñas dimensiones (ca.…”