Opportunistic use of tortoises (Chelonoidis chilensis) in a site of the Chaco-Santiagueña region (Province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina)

Zooarchaeological analysis of the role of turtles as a resource for ancient inhabitants has been approached in different regions of the world, within the Broad-Spectrum Revolution and paleodemography frameworks and covering extensive periods of time. In the present work, the role of tortoises (Chelonoidis chilensis) is discussed for the Beltrán Onofre Banegas-Lami Hernández site from Chaco-Santiagueña archaeological region (Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina). This site corresponds to the late agro-pottery stage. The proportion of used resources at the site was estimated and the ethnographic work of the study region and surrounding areas were analyzed to discuss the importance of turtles in the diet of ancient inhabitants. In accord with the results, C. chilensis was used opportunistically or circumstantially, and could be more relevant during summer as an additional resource to lizards, Tupinambis sp.