Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 October 2021
Los sitios arqueológicos de altura en el Centro Oeste Argentino y Chile Central se caracterizan por estar localizados en ambientes altoandinos, presentar recintos pircados, cerámica afín a complejos culturales de la cuenca Maipo-Mapocho de Chile Central, evidencias de caza de camélidos y procesamiento de plantas silvestres y cultivadas. En este trabajo se presenta el estudio antracológico de dos sitios ubicados en el Área Natural Protegida Laguna del Diamante (3.200 m snm), con evidencias de ocupación humana entre 2.100 años aP y tiempos históricos. Para caracterizar cuali-cuantitativamente el registro antracológico de LD-S2 y LD-S4 se utilizaron métodos estándar. Se identificaron siete taxa vegetales. Las estrategias de manejo de plantas leñosas detectadas estuvieron orientadas a la recolección de maderas locales (familia Asteraceae y Adesmia sp.), junto con otras de pisos altitudinales inferiores, tanto de Chile Central (Acacia aff. caven, Persea lingue y Quillaja saponaria) como de Argentina (Prosopis aff. alpataco), así como de un taxón que crece en ambos flancos cordilleranos (Ochetophila sp.). Los resultados obtenidos se integraron con estudios previos sobre fuentes y artefactos de obsidiana y análisis isotópicos y cerámicos. Todos muestran un acceso predominante de sociedades de la cuenca cordillerana del río Maipo a Laguna del Diamante.
High-altitude site occupations of central-west Argentina and central Chile are characterized by their location in altoandino environments, the presence of stone housing structures and of ceramic material associated with cultural complexes of the Maipo-Mapocho Basin of Central Chile, as well as evidence of camelid hunting, and the processing of wild and cultivated plants. The present paper deals with the anthracological study of two sites at the archaeological locality Laguna del Diamante (3.200 m asl), dated from 2100 years BP to historic times. To characterize qualitatively and quantitatively the anthracological record of LD-S2 and LD-S4, standard methods were employed. Seven taxa were identified. The woody plant management strategies detected were oriented to the gathering of local woods (Adesmia sp., family Asteraceae), together with others coming from lower altitudinal floors either of central Chile (Acacia aff. caven, Persea lingue, and Quillaja saponaria) or Argentina (Prosopis aff. alpataco), as well as one taxa growing on both faces of the Andean mountains (Ochetophila sp.). The results obtained here are integrated with previous studies on obsidian sources and artifacts and isotopic and ceramic analyses, among others, all of which show predominant access of societies from the valleys of central Chile to Laguna del Diamante.