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Prehistoric Diet and Human Adaptation in West Central Chihuahua, Mexico

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Prehistoric Diet and Human Adaptation in West Central Chihuahua, Mexico University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies Legacy Theses 2001 Prehistoric diet and human adaptation in west central Chihuahua, Mexico Webster, Monica Webster, M. (2001). Prehistoric diet and human adaptation in west central Chihuahua, Mexico (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/12721 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/41004 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Prehistoric Diet and Human Adaptation in West Central Chihuahua, Mexico. by Monica Webster A THESIS SbBMITIED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF ARTS DEPARWOF ARCHAEOLOGY CALGARY, ALBERTA JULY,2001 O Monica Webster National Library Biblioth&que nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Welington Street 395, rue^ Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 OlMwaON KlAON4 Canada Canada YOurmn VoM - Our YI IWm duma The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde meIicence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distniute or sell reproduke, preter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la fonne de microfiche/film, de reproduction SUY papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette thi?se. thesis nor substantial extracts &om it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent i5e imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Understanding the subsistence strategy of a prehistoric population can lead to knowledge of past adaptations to the local environment. Subsistence can also be used to elucidate differences and similarities betureen populations in a region. The main research goal of this thesis is to use an ecological framework and chemical techniques to &cover the main conmbutors to the prehistoric diet of populations inhabiting the study regions in west central Chihuahua Fifty nine local plant samples and twenty one local animal samples were tested for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. These were compared to five human samples fiom two archaeological sites in order to determine the prehistoric diet. It was determined that the prehistoric populations in the study region were primarily agricultural, and subsisted on beans and corn. This base was fortified with animal meat kom deer and other animals such as rabbits and scavengers that frequented fields and settlements. Acknowledgements A number of institutions and people have helped in the research and writing of this thesis. Firsf my supemisor, Dr. M. Anne Katzenberg made insightful comments and hays supported my ideas and decisions. Dr. Jane H. Kelley hired me for her project and thereby presented this topic. She was always available for information, support, kind words and understanding. The advice of my other committee member, Dr. Mary Pavelka, was much appreciated. Thanks goes out to other members of the Proyecto Arqueologico Chihuahua, Dr. Joe Stewart, Dr. Art MacW~lliarns,Karin Burd. A special thanks to Mitch Hendrickson who aided in the collection of the samples, and was always around to listen to my ideas and concerns. Tamara Varney and Sandra Gamie-Lok Wedme in the lab and helped out whenever I needed, and Steve Taylor of the University of Calgary stable isotope laboratory was the one who fed my samples into the machine and gave me the results. None of this would have taken place without the kind support and generosity of Darcy Sirnonelli, Norman Webster and Margo Madeod, to whom I am greatly indebted. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... 111 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................. IV LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................ tX LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................. X CHAPTER 1 .1fUTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 .ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT AND PHYSIOGRAPHY.o.m.m.~~s-m~~-9 stain++......-.... Phylic-rr stain++......-.... 9 b@maBuStiuos .................................... * ............................................................................................. 9 Santa Maria River Valley .................... .. .......................................................................................... 10 . * m~...-....L.m.o.e....~.-.--...e.~.....M...M......m....-..o.....o....u Biotic COPDIII- .-0- .. m~...-....L.m.o.e....~.-.--...e.~.....M...M......m....-..o.....o....u . 10 Plains Grassland............................ .... .......................................................................................... 11 Madrean Evergreen Woodland ........................................................................................................... 12 MadreauMoataueCanifir Forest ....................................................................................................... 12 Semi-Desert cbsslad....................................................................................................................... 12 Summary o..-w....nu.oo~*.co~~.mw ...no*.*..m.rrr..wo.~ooowomo o...~ooooo14 CHAPTER 3 - STABLE ISOTOPE ECOLOGY .................................................. 15 Envimmmcntrrl Recoastmctioa and Ecolopjcd Stability ~O~~aw~~~~o~~~~~~W~mmO~~~WoWoW~o~~~oeH~O~o~~~~O~~O16 Natritnt and Ekmcnt Cyding .ad Stable Isotopes ..- ..--.........l.....ww--.......... .................... 17 Carbon ............................................................................................................................................... 17 Nitrogen ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Carboa in PtmtS.. ..w...w..Uu............o.*.-.........t....we....*................t.uu-.w.....*....... w.-. 20 The Calvin Cycle ............................................................................................................................... 22 C4 Plants ........................................................................................................................................... 24 CAM Plants ....................................................................................................................................... 25 Carbon in bimd~.~.-~-.....-.-....- ~.H....HH......U.-.u......-............".-....-...+r..............-.....--.. 28 Stabk lsatope Ecdogy .-. ... ..- ..-.......,,.,.... ...... .........-.. 37 CHAPTER 4 .PREHISTORY ~moomoowooooomoomowoooooooooowooooo~oooooomoooooowooowowwomwowooo~ooowowwoooo39 The myact~-0 de Cbihu8hw n...w.. .....0-0 4'3 Laguna BustiUos ............................................................................................................................... 44 Saata Maria River Valley ................................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER 5 PREHISTORIC DIET IN CHIHUAHUAwooomooooooooommoooommomoooomoooooooowoo49 Tbt Mcb- Evi~for~ricDi .-.. 49 Methodology and Biasing Factors ...................................................................................................... 50 -logical Evidence for Rehistoric Diet in Chihuahua .................... ... ................................... 52 CHAPTER 6 MATERIALS.ooooooo.owo.oo~~ooo~ow~~~oowowsooowomoooowomww~oowomoowmomowso.mmwoowwoomwowooo66 Pj~b....... .I.-.....-.-...N ............... .-.- ...- ow ......... mWOHI......................................... 66 Collection and I&mification .............................................................................................................. 72 Human Remaim -..-o.-C.~.~-.-.WUIe.eU~~ee.e--e-UWw..-...-.w-..~~III 77 Ch-202 (La Cruz site).............. ......................................................................................................77 Ch-254 (A Chihuahuan CuIture site).................................................................................................. 79 CHAPTER 7 - METHODS ... -................m~mmemom...m.~...mm...m.~.m~~.~.......~.mm...o-~~m...m..o~~...86 Bone Collagen .....,.,,..,. "....... ....~..e.ee...o...e.....o.e.e..ee~.... .......r..-.... ....-.... ............ ..e..................H..e.e...e 87 ~rvatimof Bone Collagen Samples .............. - .-....~......05L.05L05L......05L05L...05L.05L.05L.05L05L05L...05L.05L05L.05L05L05L.05L05L.05L05L05L...05L...05L05L..05L..05L...05L....8% CHAPTER 8 RESULTSmsosoo.m-msmmooommomsooomomooooo~m.-soosmso-smoosmssoommesm~~omoosmmm.~mms~ssmomomooSl RcdbOC Stabk htq~~~dy~i~~~~~~~..~~~~~~~.~..~~~~~~~~~~~~.~.~~~~~~~~.~. 91 Plants...........-.... ...
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