Macrorrestos vegetales del sitio arqueológico Cueva de Los Corrales (El Infiernillo, Tafi del Valle, Tucumán, Argentina)

Abstract

This paper deals on the analysis of the archaeobotanical records of the site Cueva de Los Corrales (CC1) located in El Infiernillo, Tafí del Valle, Tucumán. CC1 has offered several levels occupied by farmer groups, therefore posterior to ca. 2,000-1,500 years BP. The main objective is to fulfil the taxonomic identifications of the archaeobotanic macroremains. The cave shows two well defined sectors with antropic occupation: one inside with stratifyed layers and another in the entrance with four mortars digged in the basal rock. The archaeobotanical records include different vegetables in excellent conservation state, coming as much from the stratified layers as from the mortars. For their taxonomic identification the samples were analysed with microscope specifying taxa by external characters. The taxonomic analysis allowed distinguish the following families: Asteraceae (2 species), Cucurbitaceae (1 specie), Fabaceae (4 species), Malvaceae (1 specie), Verbenaceae (1 specie), Bromeliaceae (1 specie) and Poaceae (7 species). The archaeobotanical records would be the result of different activities, among them, the indicting of edible vegetables and the eolic effect