Shared methods to study charred wood and seed remains of the Archaic and Formative periods of the rock-shelter "Marifilo I" (Calafquén Lake, 39ºS)

Abstract

Biological remains (plant or animal remains) from archaeological deposits are an important source of information about human activities and living conditions in the settlement as well as the past environmental conditions. Charred wood and seeds are the most common plant remains found in archaeological deposits. Although the study of plant remains has been largely developed in other countries, in Chile they are still scanty and rather recen!. This lack not only hinders the choice and implementation of techniques to use but also limits the understanding and evaluation of results. In this study we assessed the efficiency of two techniques generally used to retrieve biological remains; in situ water-aid sifting and flotation (light and heavy fraction) and whether anthracological and carpological results complement each other. The analysis is based on plant remains obtained from the rock shelter «Marifilo 1 » (Lago Calafquen, 39" S). Results suggested that anthracology and carpology do complement each other, as well as both collecting methods. The combined application of these techniques and disciplines resulted in a large quantity and diversity (number of species or laxa) of plant remains retrieved from this rock shelter. This study also evidenced the amount of effort required to conduct such a study and the lack of taphonomic investigations of plant material in Chile.