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The aim of this work is to explore general trends and intra-site variability in human paleodiet from Medano Petroquimica, a burial site created by pre-Hispanic hunter-gatherers and located in the southwest of La Pampa province, Argentina. Measurements of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) stable isotopes were performed on the human bone and tooth samples of 16 individuals from five of the burials identified in the site (EA, H4, H5, H6-1, and H7). The multivariate diet reconstruction model used indicates the consumption of land/terrestrial resources within a food web based mainly on C3 producers. The results suggest a relatively high trophic position for these individuals, which is consistent with a marked dependence on animal protein, particularly that of herbivores, such as Lama guanicoe, Rhea spp. (and/or its eggs), and omnivorous animals. A relatively greater dispersion observed in δ13Cap values in comparison with δ13Ccol and δ15N values is partially attributed here to greater intra-site variability in the non-protein portion of diet relative to the protein component.

Bone neoplasms or tumors are of great interest for paleopathological studies due to their close relationship with health and survivorship as well as for their epidemiologic and demographic relevance. However, the identification of these lesions in archaeological specimens is very uncommon. The aim of this paper is to report the case of skeleton R5 E#1 from the prehistoric cemetery La Falda, in the Northwest region of Argentina. During the osteopathological analysis of the skeletal series, proliferative lesions in several bones of the skeleton of a 7-10-year-old juvenile were observed (i.e., both scapulae; left clavicle, humerus, and ulna, both os coxae, femora, and fibulae, and right foot bones). Age-at-death estimation, location and distribution pattern, and morphological appearances of the lesions indicated that this juvenile suffered from a neoplastic condition. A comprehensive differential diagnosis was carried out, suggesting that these lesions were compatible with hereditary multiple osteochondromas. However, Ewing's sarcoma was not definitively ruled out as a probable diagnosis. Thus, this work adds new evidence to the existence of neoplastic conditions in the prehistoric populations of the Americas, and it contributes original data to perform a differential diagnosis for multiple proliferative lesions.

In the territory of Jujuy province, Northwest Argentina (NWA), a marked environmental diversity promoted the emergence of a wide spectrum of subsistence strategies during prehistoric times. This work explores thevariability of human paleodiets from different environmental and temporal contexts of the province. Bone and tooth samples of 30 individuals from five archaeological sites were analysed: Til 20 (late Formative), Til 1, Yacoraite (Regional Developments and Inca), Til 43 (Hispanic-Indigenous) in Quebrada de Humahuaca, and Doncellas (Regional Developments and Inca) in Puna. The results of carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses reveal a strong relevance of C4 resources and a balance between meat and plant components of the diet for Quebrada de Humahuaca. Late Formative site Til 20 exhibits more enriched δ13C and δ15N values than Regional Developments and Inca sites, reflecting higher consumption of C4 resources and a greater relevance of the meat component in diet or, alternatively, crop manuring practices. Hispanic-Indigenous samples exhibited intermediate isotopic values, which indicate the consumption of C4 and C3 plant resources and enriched animal protein. In Puna, δ15N values show certain homogeneity around values that reflect a balance between meat andplant components in the diet. It is also observed in this region a great dispersion of the δ13C values for organic and mineral fractions, ranging from those reflecting high intake of C4 resources to those where C3 resources have greater relevance. Fil: Lynch Ianniello, Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Laboratorio de Osteología y Anatomia Funcional Humana; Argentina Fil: Mendonca, Osvaldo Juan. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Laboratorio de Osteología y Anatomia Funcional Humana; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Arrieta, Mario Alberto. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Laboratorio de Osteología y Anatomia Funcional Humana; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Bernardi, Lila. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Laboratorio de Osteología y Anatomia Funcional Humana; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Bordach de Mendonca, Maria de la Asuncion. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Laboratorio de Osteología y Anatomia Funcional Humana; Argentina

Este artículo analiza las prácticas funerarias desarrolladas en una vivienda del poblado prehispánico conocido como Pucará de Tilcara, con la intención de evaluar los atributos de pertenencia social entre los diferentes tipos de inhumaciones hasta el momento detectadas y excavadas. Se presenta la caracterización de las sepulturas identificadas en la vivienda denominada Unidad Habitacional 1 del Barrio Corrales. Durante la época incaica, momento en que el Pucará llegó a constituirse como cabecera política de la región, esta unidad habitacional sufrió importantes transformaciones. En el marco de la estructura económica estatal se reorganizó como casa-taller destinada principalmente a la producción alfarera y metalúrgica, ésta última desarrollada de forma especializada. Luego de su abandono como espacio de trabajo artesanal y residencial, esta vivienda pasó a ser objeto de remodelaciones y redimensionamientos con fines estrictamente funerarios. El estudio del comportamiento mortuorio ha permitido revelar los vínculos que las personas establecieron con los muertos en el ámbito doméstico. Asimismo, en una escala más amplia, a nivel intra sitio, posibilitó la comparación de las prácticas allí registradas con las identificadas en otros contextos mortuorios del Pucará. This paper analyzes the funerary practices developed at a household of the prehistoric site known as the Pucará de Tilcara, in order to evaluate attributes of social belonging among the different types of inhumations, so far detected and excavated. We also present the characterization of the sepultures identified in the so called Residential Unit 1. During the Inca occupation, when the Pucará de Tilcara became the political head of the region, this house functioned as a household and, as a workshop mostly dedicated to ceramic and specialized metallurgical production. Once abandoned, it suffered different transformations in order to be used as a mortuary place. The study of funerary behavior allowed us to reveal the relationship between the living and the death at the domestic sphere of the archaeological village. At a broader intrasite scale, the authors will compare this case to other mortuary contexts in Pucara de Tilcara. Este artigo analisa as práticas funerárias desenvolvidas numa moradia do povoado pré-hispânico conhecido como Pucará de Tilcara, com a intenção de avaliar os atributos de pertencimento social entre os diferentes tipos de inumações até o momento detectadas e escavadas. Apresenta-se a caracterização das sepulturas identificadas na moradia denominada Unidade Habitacional 1 do bairro Corrales. Durante a época incaica, momento em que o Pucará chegou a se constituir como liderança política da região, essa unidade habitacional sofreu importantes transformações. No âmbito da estrutura econômica estatal, reorganizou-se como casa-oficina, destinada principalmente à produção ceramista e metalúrgica, esta última desenvolvida de forma especializada. Após seu abandono como espaço de trabalho artesanal e residencial, essa moradia passou a ser objeto de reformas e redimensionamentos com fins estritamente funerários. O estudo do comportamento mortuário permitiu revelar os vínculos que as pessoas estabeleceram com os mortos no ambiente doméstico. Além disso, numa escala mais ampla, a nível intrassítio, possibilitou a comparação das práticas ali registradas com as identificadas em outros contextos mortuários do Pucará. Fil: Otero, Clarisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: Bordach de Mendonca, Maria de la Asuncion. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquímicas y Naturales; Argentina Fil: Mendonca, Osvaldo Juan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina

Systematic excavation of collective burial sites makes possible the recovery of skeletal series which may show bony evidence of infectious pathological conditions. This paper presents the first evidence of the existence of tuberculosis in prehistoric populations of NW Argentina with a subsistence economy based on agriculture and pastoralism. The study was carried out on individuals from Rincon Chico 21 cemetery, a burial site located in the Santa Maria Valley, Catamarca, used between the Late Ceramic Period and the onset of the Inca empire expansion (AD 1000–1400). Six individuals out of the 70 so far excavated showed destructive lesions in the vertebral bodies and periosteal reactions in other bones. The morphology and distribution of bone lesions led us to rule out several diseases from a broad spectrum of possible diseases that could have affected the skeletal system. Thus, the lesions were interpreted as caused by mycobacterial infections (Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex). Considering previous studies on the dynamics of biocultural interactions which take into account information related from contextual associations and chronology, we can conclude that a tuberculosis-like disease was present in prehistoric populations from NW Argentina. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

El análisis osteológico de lesiones atribuibles a violencia constituye una valiosa herramienta para el estudio de conflictos en poblaciones del pasado. Con el objeto de aportar al conocimiento de tales expresiones, se analizan, discuten e interpretan patrones y frecuencias de lesiones atribuibles a violencia en esqueletos correspondientes a distintas secuencias del desarrollo sociocultural del noroeste argentino (NOA). Se relevaron fracturas atribuibles a violencia en 130 individuos mayores de 15 años de edad, pertenecientes a cinco conjuntos óseos provenientes de cinco sitios prehistóricos. Los sitios y materiales asociados corresponden a la serie sociocultural Formativo Inferior, Desarrollos Regionales, Inca e Hispano-Indígena I. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto la existencia de episodios de violencia en toda la secuencia sociocultural representada. Aunque se observó una mayor prevalencia de individuos afectados en el Hispano-Indígena I (6/35, 17.14 %) respecto de los otros, (Formativo Inferior: 1/13, 7.69 % y Desarrollos Regionales / Inca 7/82, 8.54 %), las diferencias no resultaron estadísticamente significativas. Se concluye que los episodios de violencia se manifestaron en la región desde tiempos Formativos, verificándose ininterrumpidamente hasta el Hispano-Indígena I. Entre las posibles causas que ocasionaron las lesiones se considera la existencia de conflictos intra e intergrupo. The osteological analysis of injuries attributable to violence is a valuable tool for the study of conflict among peoples from the past. In order to contribute to the knowledge of such expressions, patterns of injuries attributable to violence found in complete skeletons (130 individuals over 15 years of age) from five different sites from northwest Argentina (NOA) are analyzed, discussed and interpreted. The osteo-logical evidence and associated materials correspond to four different sociocultural series: Lower Formative, Regional Developments, Inca and Hispanic-Indigenous I. The results show the existence of violence throughout the entire sociocultural sequence here represented. Although a higher prevalence of affected individuals was observed in the Hispanic-Indigenous I series (6/35, 17.14 %), compared to the others (Lower Formative: 1/13, 7.69 % and Regional Developments / Inca: 7/82, 8.54 %), such differences were not statistically significant. We conclude that violence is demonstrated in the region at least since the Lower Formative period, and continues until the Hispano-Indigenous I period. Among the possible causes that led to the registered violence, the existence of intra and inter-group conflicts is considered.

We explore and discuss the theoretical approaches that have shaped osteological studies in Argentina over the past several decades. Initially, from the second half of the nineteenth century until well beyond the first half of twentieth, the influence of European approaches dominated with emphases on racial types as well as diffusion theories. Human remains were considered and studied separately from their contextual associations and used mostly as sources for typological and racial analyses. Due to a growing academic influence from both American and European scholars, since the 1970s, osteological research in Argentina has become increasingly grounded in modern bioarchaeological techniques and results interpreted within bioarchaeology theories as well as those related to social dimensions of mortuary behaviour. While this development parallels changes in the field elsewhere, some bioarchaeological studies still use inappropriate samples and methods which lead to biased data analysis and overly simplistic interpretations. Furthermore, in recent years, native communities have started to claim their rights to land ownership and to the archaeological patrimony. This has become a major legal and academic issue that poses real challenges to scholars interested in the reconstruction of the past through bioarchaeological research.