Human Subsistence Strategies on the Southern Coast of the Fuegian Andes: A Comparative Analysis of Vertebrate Faunal Exploitation During the Holocene
摘要
This chapter assesses the use of faunal resources across broad temporal and spatial scales through the integration of zooarchaeological analyses conducted on assemblages distributed along the southern coast of Tierra del Fuego; from the northern shore of the Beagle Channel—beginning at its boundary with Chile—to Isla de los Estados, dating from approximately 7300 cal BP onward. The four taxonomic categories of vertebrates that are recurrent in the archaeological record are analyzed here: pinnipeds, guanacos, birds, and fish. These categories are represented in most of the studied sites and are commonly reported in terms of their Number of Identified Specimens (NISP). In general terms, the zooarchaeological analysis of the southern coastal region reveals a strong reliance on marine resource consumption. The southern coast of Tierra del Fuego is a region characterized by a relatively homogeneous resource base, however, some differences have been observed regarding the relative abundance of various taxa along different sectors of the southern coast of Tierra del Fuego. Morover, this study identifies regional patterns of change and continuity in subsistence strategies throughout the Holocenoe—trends that likely reflect broader processes of population expansion and settlement, in which the occupation of different coastal spaces occurred at distintc tempos. Approaching the southern Fuegian coast as an integrated system has enabled the identification and characterization of temporal trends in faunal abundance and exploitation strategies, within the broader context of human use of coastal environments across different stages of Fuegian littoral occupation.