Archaeological hunting patterns of Amazonian horticulturists: The Guarani example

Abstract

We analyse the hunting patterns based on faunal records of horticultural groups from the Atlantic Forest grouped in the Guarani archaeological unit, which are the material and behavioural expression of populations of Amazon origin who practiced slash‐and‐burn agriculture in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The analysed temporal block ranges from ca. 1373 to 1698 of the Common Era. The characteristics of the faunal assemblages are the high level of the taxa richness and the equitability, where no taxa predominate over the others. The capture decision was probably guided primarily by the weight of the potential prey (preferentially terrestrial mammals) considering thresholds above 10 kg per individual, which have provided the greatest biomass. Nevertheless, small preys are numerically important and taxonomically very diverse. Fish mostly comprise small individuals, with no taxonomic selectivity. The hunted animals were transported completely to the villages. Terrestrial prey and fish were preponderantly boiled in ceramic containers. All the best ranked preys locally available were hunted, so in the long term, there were no exceptions to consumption. The hunting strategies are concordant with historical and ethnographic observations that include a broad diet with low taxonomic selectivity, small foraging range, and garden hunting.

From the Atlantic coast to the lowland forests: Stable isotope analysis of the diet of forager–horticulturists in southern Brazil

“…The δ 15 N values are especially high in the UPR2, UPR3, and UP4 samples, which were recovered from inland riparian settlements, perhaps influenced by the consumption of freshwater fish, whose remains are abundant in all those sites like these, located in the river banks of the courses of the great rivers of the region (Acosta et al, 2019; Loponte et al, 2011). Overall, these results are quite similar to those previously published for Guarani samples recovered from sites located in the tropical forests of the interior of the continent, which show moderately higher δ 13 Cap values within a narrow range of variability, whereas the collagen values reflect a greater variation (Loponte et al, 2016), although within the general parameters expected for mixed isotopic diets (see respective ranges in Coltrain & Janetski, 2013).…”

“…There are also descriptions of domesticated anatids (probably Cairina moschata domestica) among these groups in their settlements of southern Brazil and Paraguay (Métraux, 1948;Schmidl, 1948). The environments occupied by these populations correspond to the Alto Paraná Atlantic forests (rainforest), which develops in the lowlands below $800 masl, as well as the Atlantic seashore, where they exploited the ecotone between the seashore and the Serra do Mar Coastal Forest, which is quite similar in ecological terms to the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest (Acosta et al, 2019;Brochado, 1984;Noelli, 2004;Rogge, 1996;Rosa, 2006aRosa, , 2006b. Previous isotopic studies with samples of this archeological population recovered from the lowlands of the valleys of Paraná and Uruguay rivers, and the Paraná Delta (subtropical forest), have shown the intake of C 4 /C 3 carbohydrates, and a significant amount of C 3 animal proteins (Loponte et al, 2016) (see more information about these contexts in the supporting information).…”

La agricultura prehispánica en el nordeste argentino analizada a través de los isótopos estables

“…Por ello, la mayoría de las presas que cazaron y consumieron los humanos de estas dos regiones, presentan valores típicos de dietas C 3, o predominantemente C 3 , con escasas excepciones como algunas especies de armadillos (Schneider et al, 2020), o el carpincho que en promedio presenta valores mixtos, pero con una gran dispersión, oscilando entre dietas preponderantemente C 3 a otras preponderantemente C 4 (Corriale & Loponte, 2015). No obstante, ni los armadillos ni el carpincho fueron objeto de un consumo significativo por parte de los humanos de ambas áreas (Acosta et al, 2019;Loponte, 2008;Servin, 2016). También se registran valores ligeramente enriquecidos en el colágeno de algunos ejemplares de coipo (Myocastor coypus) Ottalagano, en prensa a), si bien en promedio esa especie presenta una dieta preponderantemente C 3 .…”

“…reptiles y peces principalmente), sin que haya existido un énfasis particular en alguno de ellos (Acosta et al 2019). No obstante, los contextos muestran una variación clinal relacionada con la menor variedad de especies disponibles hacia el extremo meridional de su distribución.…”

“…Por ello en el Delta del Paraná, la caza se concentró en una menor cantidad de especies (Acosta & Mucciolo, 2009). En todos los contextos publicados que tiene datos cuantitativos de la fauna recuperada, la mayor contribución a la dieta fue aportada por los mamíferos de tamaño mediano a grande, pero los peces de agua dulce también poseen una importante representación (Acosta & Mucciolo, 2009;Loponte et al, 2011a;Acosta et al, 2019). En el área del litoral marítimo de Brasil también se incorporaron recursos marinos (Rosa, 2006).…”