20235602(en)/4 - Isotopic Ecology of Water in Western Tinogasta (Catamarca, Argentina): First Relationships with the Bioarchaeological Record
ISOTOPIC ECOLOGY OF WATER IN WESTERN TINOGASTA (CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA): FIRST RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD
ECOLOGÍA ISOTÓPICA DEL AGUA EN EL OESTE DE TINOGASTA (CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA): PRIMERAS RELACIONES CON EL REGISTRO BIOARQUEOLÓGICO
Norma Ratto, Claudia Aranda, Luis Coll y Leandro Luna
We present the isotopic ecology of δ18O from 60 water samples collected from diverse environments in the Chaschuil and Fiambalá regions, west of the Department of Tinogasta, Catamarca (valley floor, upper valley, transitional Puna, San Buenaventura Mountain range, and Andean Mountain range). We compare the water samples with other extra-regional samples from the Southern Puna and the eastern valleys of Belén and Andalgalá. The isotopic baseline was further compared with data obtained from the teeth and bone samples of 39 individuals, both regional and extra-regional, encompassing both sexes, different ages, and varied chronologies. We then created an isotopic map to contrast the isotopic profiles of both the waters sources and those of the buried individuals. This is an essential step for evaluating the scope and limitations of models delineating past population mobility. The results highlight differences and similarities in δ18O values across water samples taken from different environments in western Tinogasta, as well as their comparison with similar extra-regional environments and altitudinal levels. These findings underscore the need to integrate multiple indicators to address issues of voluntary or forced population mobility.
