Diet analysis reveals pre-historic meals among the Loma San Gabriel at La Cueva de Los Muertos Chiquitos, Rio Zape, Mexico (600–800 CE)

Authors

Elisa Pucu, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de JaneiroFollow
Julia Russ, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Karl Reinhard, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2020

Citation

Published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2020) 12: 25

DOI: 10.1007/s12520-019-00950-0

Comments

Copyright © 2020 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany. Used by permission.

Abstract

Coprolites have been a source of study for archeologists due to several reasons: they not only provide information on the life and nutritional habits of ancient individuals but also on their health. In this paper, we processed 10 coprolites collected at La Cueva de Los Muertos Chiquitos (600–800 CE), Rio Zape, Mexico, with acetolysis solution for pollen analysis. The number of pollen grains/gram of each coprolite sample was quantified along with the macroscopic remains of these samples. The main food item ingested by the population was maize, followed by Agave. Squash blossoms were also part of their food source determined by the presence of pollen grains. In macro remains, we identified rodent bones, plant seeds, and Agave fibers. The macroscopic analysis of the samples fits with the analysis of smaller remains, giving an idea of the meal represented by each coprolite analyzed. We relate these results to previous microbiome studies of coprolite samples from the same archeological site and provide a discussion on the relevancy of studying macro- and microremains that can be applied to microbiome interpretation analysis.