Human Demography and Domestic Plants in Central Western Argentina: Exploring Trends in Radiocarbon Dates

Abstract

Classically, the origin and spread of the farmers at least have been explained by demographics variable. This paper preliminarily explores the use of the frequency of radiocarbon dates as a demographic proxy and compares such trends to cultigens scattering in central western Argentina. The region is accepted as the southern boundary of Prehispanic agricultural expansion and on that basis the radiocarbon trends compare three sectors: North, Central and South. The paper analyzes 344 radiocarbon dates from the last 5000 14C years and 176 archaeological site recorded between 30° and 37° S. The sum of probabilities shows similar patterns among the three sectors but less variation recorded in the North than in Center and the South. This could indicate a correlation with demographic stability where the North shows a more stable than those in the Center and the South pattern.