New Records of Pre-Hispanic Dogs (Canis familiaris) in Argentinean Northeast

Summary

Canis familiaris has a limited record in pre-Hispanic archaeological sites of Southern South American, but in the last decade, more specimens were published. In this context, we present new remains of domestic dogs from five archaeological sites along the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers in the Northeast of Argentina, an area with few published records. We also discuss their roles within human societies. The studied sample includes seven cranial and one postcranial specimens corresponding to seven individuals, that comprise adults (n= 6) and youngs (n= 2). Estimated body size indicates that they belong to medium sized dogs (13-23 kg). Some of them show anthropic cut marks (n= 4) and carnivore marks (n= 2). Two specimens were dated, one at 1119 ± 23 14C years B.P., and the other at 1910 ± 29 14C years B.P. It is concluded that in the Northeastern Argentine Canis familiaris presents greater age variability and slightly larger sizes than previous records. The 14C dates extend the chronological range known for the region. Its presence is linked to hunter-gatherer-fisher and small scales horticulturalist populations with a marked fluvial adaptation. Evidence of anthropic processing indicates possible human consumption during the late Holocene.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21712