Abstract

NOVELLINO, Paula  and  GIL, Adolfo. Nutritional stress, enamel hypoplasia, and resource exploitation in south-central Mendoza. Intersecciones antropol. [online]. 2007, n.8, pp.17-29. ISSN 1850-373X.

The existence of an intensification process in the exploitation of resources in the upper valley of the Atuel River during the last 2000 years has recently been proposed (Neme et al. 2005). Although similar changes have been registered in the rest of southern Mendoza, doubts about the archaeological record reflective of this process have arisen (Borrero 2002). Until now discussion of this problem had been approached from the archaeofaunal record and settlement patterns (Neme 2002a, 2002b). In this paper, the study of dental enamel hypoplasia in human remains of the region as an independent test to evaluate the existence of nutritional stress associated with the initial stages of a process of intensification is presented. The results of the analysis of 1505 permanent dental pieces in 128 individuals from south-central Mendoza, and the comparison to results from similar previous studies in the same and other regions are discussed. The chronological tendency of the enamel hypoplasias registered in the context of the intensification is discussed. The results are not concordant with the expected nutritional stress and for this reason alternative explanations are discussed.

Keywords : Enamel hypoplasia; Nutritional stress; Late Holocene; South-central Mendoza.

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