Gardens, Chacras, and Sementeras. Cultivated Plants and their Participation in Cultural Developments in Central Chile

Abstract

Archaeobotanical data from Central Chile do not yet provide solid evidence to back a description of local plant domestication processes; nevertheless, domesticated plants where progressively incorporated and manipulated by local groups at least since 3500 BP in this region. Some were non local cultivated American species, as Zea mays L. (maize), and others probably developed locally, as Madia sativa Mol. (madi). This paper describes the data available for these plants during different prehispanic periods, based on macro and micro remains recovered from sediments and archaeological artefacts, and on stable isotopes information. We argue that, even if data are still scarce and fragmentary, cultivated plants were part of the ideational and cultural environment and actively participated in defining life styles and social identities. Plants played different roles for specific human groups inhabiting Central Chile during prehispanic times.