Chenopod data in two countries of South America: Advances in knowledge about the use of Chenopodium in Argentina and Chile from Early Holocene (9000-11000 BP) to Historical Times (250 BP).

Summary

Argentina and Chile are the most austral American countries where Chenopodium species are recovered in several archaeological contexts. In both countries from the north to central and south, various issues are addressed from these findings such as hunter-gatherers subsistence strategies and chenopod grain morphological changes. Multi-proxy methods are used based on pollen, macro and micro botanical remains analyses, and isotopic data. However scarce botanical evidence has carried an uneven depth studies about the ancient presence of chenopod species, in particular quinoa grains, in the different regions. The objective of this contribution is to present the complete evidence about the presence and consumption of Chenopodium in Argentina and Chile remarking on new data. Advances in research have allowed knowing the manipulation of wild chenopod since early times and probably the development of different practices related to protection, transplantation, selection, and processing techniques. In this way the adoption of domesticated chenopod could have been easier among the first farmer and horticultural societies that lived far from the domestication centers. New issues are raised to be solved with future research, following the aim to get better insights into this pseudo cereal and preserve its cultivation in both countries.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• From Birdseed to Superfood: Chenopodium Cultivation and Management across the Globe

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14756