Early occupations archaeofauna at Cueva Traful I, Neuquén province, Argentina

Abstract

The early occupation of northwestern Argentinean Patagonia dates of ca. 10.000 AP., but little is known of the subsistence of the first hunters and gatherers and the seasonality of their occupations. The analysis of the remains deposited in cave Traful I during the early Holocene can give us some answers. Therefore, we studied the structure of the assemblages from a taphonomic perspective in order to determine which were the main agents and processes that formed them. The initial occupations were ephemeral and the fauna is composed mainly of small game, fish, and scarce remains of Artiodactyla. The faunal assemblages of Component I (unit Traful) include, besides Lama guanicoe, two types of foxes, birds, rodents, and mollusks. The sequence indicates that small game was more important at the beginning and that subsequently, the guanaco gained importance. The absence of this ungulate could be due to the presence of the forest near the cave.