LA EXPLOTACIÓN DE LOS RECURSOS VEGETALES EN SOCIEDADES CAZADORAS-RECOLECTORAS DEL SUR DE MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

The carpological records of edible plant resources exploited within the last 4000 years were recovered from various archaeological sites located in different environmental zones, in southern Mendoza, Argentina. This analysis was performed considering the local environmental heterogeneity and the Optimal Foraging Theory, to determine whether the records are consistent with a model of resource intensification proposed for southern Mendoza from the study of lithic matherials and archaeofauna. The archeological material was recovered by the technique of flotation and sieve which allowed to apply different quantitative analysis in order to evaluate inter- and intra-site variability. Both spatial and temporal variations in the use of these plant resources were detected. Plant resources were used for different purposes other than those strictly related to diet. This study allowed to contextualize the archaeobotanical information, to discuss previous ideas regarding the intensification processes in the region, and to explore new lines of evidence in central and western Argentina.