Abstract

MAZZA, Bárbara. Old Collections, New Data: First Results Of The Analysis Of The Bioarchaeological Collections Of The Lower Parana Wetland. Rev. Mus. Antropol. [online]. 2015, vol.8, n.1, pp.133-146. ISSN 1852-060X.

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century several explorations and excavations took place in archaeological sites at the lower Parana wetland, giving rise, among others, to a vast body of bioarchaeological remains, currently deposited at the Museo de la Plata de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata and at the Museo Etnográfico de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. While some of the results from those field works were published, others remain unknown. The aim of this paper is to report on some characteristics of these bioarchaeological collections through the analysis of the 252 individuals that comprise them. Thus, we proceeded to the sex determination and age estimation of the sample, and to the record of taphonomic variables; the latter with the purpose of identifying the possible burial context where these individuals came from. From this analysis, and following the data published, we distinguished between burials in direct contact with the ground or in urns. In turn, a spatial segmentation for some sites was also reported on the basis of age and gender categories, in addition to the presence of personal metal ornaments, ocher, and cut marks on some bones. In this way, we hope to emphasize the value of museum collections and to contribute to gaining further insights into some features of the pre-Hispanic populations in the region.

Keywords : Lower Paraná wetland; Osteological collections; Taphonomy; Human burials.

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