Journal of Archaeological Science 31 (2004) 1361e1372

http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jas

Woody plant resources in the Southern Argentine Puna:

Punta de la Pena 9 archaeological site
Mar a Fernanda Rodr guez)
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientcas y Tecnicas, Instituto de Botanica Darwinion, Labarden 200,
C.C. 22 (1642) San Isidro, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Received 5 June 2003; received in revised form 11 February 2004

Abstract
Woody plant species used as fuel by human groups in the transition phase from hunter gatherer to agricultural economies during
Late Holocene, were studied from materials recovered at an archaeological site of the Southern Argentine Puna, Catamarca
Province: Punta de la Pena 9. The comparative anatomical and morphological analysis of present day and archaeological plants
allowed the identication of the latter. These analyses were done with Scanning Electron Microscope. The results indicated the use
of four species, which developed in landscape units of the area surrounding the site.
2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Charcoal; Woody plant species; Plant resources; Archaeobotanical record; Archaeobotany; Anatomical analysis; Paleoenvironment

1. Introduction
The use of woody plant species by human groups
during Late Holocene was investigated. These groups
were in the transition phase from hunter gatherer to agricultural economies. The research is based on materials
recovered at the archaeological site Punta de la Pena 9
(PP9), situated in the Southern Argentine Puna, Catamarca Province, at the locality of Antofagasta de la
Sierra (Fig. 1). An initial analysis of the present day ora
in the area was made as a reference to be used for the
study of the archaeobotanical record.
The archaeological site PP9 is situated in the intermediate sectors of Las Pitas River BasindPunta de la
Pena archaeological localitydat 26( 01# 616$ S latitude
and 67( 20# 513$ W longitude and at 3620 m altitude
[8,10]. Three sectors were dened within this site. Sector I
is composed of three structures next to Las Pitas River;
third of which, a residential subcircular structure, was
excavated. A complete prospecting of this sector was
carried out, recovering milling stone tools at the surface
(Babot, pers. comm.). On the other side, Sector III is
) Tel.: C5411-4743-4800; fax: C5411-4747-4748.
E-mail address: frodriguez@darwin.edu.ar
0305-4403/$ - see front matter 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jas.2004.02.014

contiguous to the previous one and toward the west, in

a benchmark somewhat higher, and is formed by ve
architectural structures situated near an ignimbrite
mountain, which is the limit of the site. These structures
have mainly circular contours and the walls that
surround them were built using ignimbrites [8,10]. The
sediment of PP9 is homogeneous. It consists of a dry and
sander matrix. The main modications respond to substratum alterations caused by human use [10].
From the stratigraphical analysis of the site, the
spatial distribution of contexts and the radiocarbon data
for Sector III, Lopez Campeny [10] proposes a recurrent
utilization of PP9 during a space of 1500 years (2000e500
years BP). The radiocarbon dates belonging to the rst
and last occupations of Sector III are the following:
1970G50 years BP (UGA 9076, charcoal) and 530G50
years BP (UGA 9260, guano). Also, each one of these
reoccupations implied dierential use of the site space,
with changes registered in the functionality and in relation to the activities that took place there [8,9].
Structure 3 of Sector I is the focus of this work. Four
stratigraphic layers were dierentiated in the same area.
Six articial levels, because no variations were found
in the sediment, were dened in layer 1. Layer 2 presents guano remains. Layer 3, that represents the main

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Fig. 1. Location of Punta de la Pena 9 archaeological site, Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca, Argentina. Landscape units: tolar, lowland and
rangeland. T1, T2 and T3: transects 1e3.

occupation of this structure, has a remainder of

a compacted oor. Layer 4 could be an extension of
the third one (Babot, pers. comm.). The woody plant
species in the form of charcoal recovered in layers 3
and 4 were analysed. These layers were chosen due to
the forementioned characteristics. Below these layers
a sterile oor was reached that was denominated
plain of PP9 (Aschero, pers. comm.). At this moment,
radiocarbon dates are not yet available for this
structure.
Thus, the following objectives were established:
1- To identify scientically the archaeological woody
species through a comparative morphological and
anatomical analysis with the present day found
species of the study area.
2- To determine the origin of plant resources used in
PP9 based on their distribution in the current
environment, considering the paleoenvironmental
changes in the area.
Moreover, the hypothesis proposed was that the
human groups who lived in PP9 during the Late Holocene used woody plant species, which grew in various
landscape units surrounding the site. The environmental
characteristics of the Puna region, such as the absence
of trees, and the high plant resource concentrations in
some areas, as at the Antofagasta de la Sierra locality,
made possible this behaviour in relation to resources
selection.

2. Geographical and environmental framework

The study area, Antofagasta de la Sierra, is located in
the southern end of the Puna. This region ranges from
the south of Peru and centre of Bolivia to the Northwest
of Argentina, at 7e27( S and 3500e5500 m altitude
[1,4,15] (Fig. 1).
Troll [17] recognized three zones based on the characteristics of the vegetation and the patterns of human
behaviour: humid Puna, dry Puna and salty Puna. This
study is concerned with the salty Puna, because Antofagasta de la Sierra is contained within it. This area ranges
from Lirima, 20( S, to the Atacama Desert. It is extremely
arid; precipitation decreases from levels of 300 mm that
are found in the north to zero in the Atacama Desert [1].
In Argentina, the Puna extends through the western half
of Jujuy, and the west of Salta into the northern part
of Catamarca [3,4].
The Puna has sandy or stony soils, which are
immature and skeletal. Organic decomposition is very
slow and humus is scarce. On the other hand, peat
develops in the lowland, where there are water springs
[3,4]. The climate is dry and cold and is characterised by
great daily thermal amplitude; it rains almost only in
summer and most of the year there is no snow.
Precipitation takes place as hail or snow in the high
mountains; these vary in the dierent areas of the Puna,
as well as throughout the year and between years. This
variation in the rainfall makes it possible to divide the

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M.F. Rodrguez / Journal of Archaeological Science 31 (2004) 1361e1372

Argentine Puna into two zones: the Puna of Jujuy,

which occupies the more humid part of the Northwest,
with permanent rivers and more abundant vegetation
and the Puna of Atacama, to the Southwest, that is very
arid, without rivers and with large salt mines [3,4], where
Antofagasta de la Sierra is located [15].
From the phytogeographical point of view, the
studied area corresponds to the Punena Province of
the Andean Dominion. In this Province, the dominant
vegetation is the bushy steppe, but the herbaceous,
halophyte and sammophile steppes and lowland are
also present. This Province occupies almost the whole
area of the Puna, stretching along the high mountains
and plateau of the Argentine Northwest, from Jujuy
to La Rioja. Its lower limit is the Prepunena Province
and the upper limit is the Altoandina Province
[4,5,15].
The site PP9 is situated in tolar landscape unit, at
3600 m altitude, where shrub and sub-shrub species of
the genera Parastrephia, Acantholippia, Adesmia, Baccharis and Fabiana are abundant. Close to the site, lowland terrain develops, characterised by a plant cover, that
includes species from the Poaceae and Juncaceae. At
6.5 km from PP9, 3800 m altitude, rangeland begins,
where species of Poaceae are predominant. Also, subshrub species of Adesmia, Baccharis and Fabiana genera
are present (Fig. 1). The proportion of plant species
used for fuel represented in each landscape unitd
tolar, lowland and rangelanddis summarized in
Table 1.

Table 1
Woody species collected in dierent landscape unitsdtolar, lowland
and rangelanddand their use as fuel in Punta de la Pena 9
archaeological site
Landscape
units

Dominant genera of
woody species/families
of herbaceous species

Estimated proportion
of woody plant
species used as fuel
in PP9 (%)

Tolar

Parastrephia, Acantholippia,
Adesmia, Baccharis and
Fabiana
Adesmia, Baccharis and
Fabiana/Poaceae
Poaceae and Juncaceae

60

Rangeland
Lowland

40
0

3. Materials and methods

The starting point of the study was the survey,
taxonomic identication and anatomical analysis of present day plant species in the area in order to compare the
results with the archaeological record of the site PP9
(Figs. 2e10).
3.1. Present day material
Three transects in dierent directions from PP9 and
another seven within the area, following natural topographic relief, that connected dierent microenvironments, were made [16]. For each transect, the direction,
route, distance, duration of the walk, characteristics
and changes in the vegetation related to the type of soils

Fig. 2. Acantholippia deserticola. Archaeological charcoal. Scanning Electron Micrographs. (aec) Sample 14, layer 3: (a) in CS, (b) in CS, detail of
radial cells and vessels (bundles); (c) in TLS; (d) sample 16, layer 3, in TLS, detail of vessels. Bars: a, c Z 20 mm; b, d Z 10 mm.

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Fig. 3. Adesmia horrida. Archaeological charcoal. Scanning Electron Micrographs. (a, b) Sample 1, layer 3: (a) in CS, (b) in TLS; (c, d) sample 2, layer
3: (c) in CS, (d) in TLS, detail of vessels; (e, f) sample 3, layer 3: (e) in CS, (f) in TLS, detail of vessels. Bars: a, b Z 100 mm; cef Z 50 mm.

and the presence or absence of water were considered.

In all cases, a relevant geographic point was taken as
reference, as watercourses or landscape units and the
time used to get there was measured. On the way back,
voucher plants were collected. These were taxonomically
identied and deposited at the Herbarium of the
Instituto de Botanica Darwinion (SI, the Institutional
acronym referenced in [7]).
The transects radiating from the site PP9 were the
following (Fig. 1):
1- Punta de la PenaeQuebrada Seca; 3600e4000 m
altitude. Landscape units: tolar and rangeland.
Direction: SE. Distance: 8 km.
2- Punta de la PenaeLas Juntas, along the course of
Las Pitas River; 3600e3800 m altitude. Landscape
unit: lowland. Direction: NE. Distance: 4 km.
3- Penas ColoradasePunta de la Pena, along the
course of Las Pitas River; 3600e3500 m altitude.

Landscape unit: lowland. Direction: NE. Distance:

2 km.
In the rst transect it was possible to collect all the
woody species (100%) that could have been used for fuel.
In order to carry out anatomical analysis of roots and
woody stems of the reference collection, the following
procedures were followed: pieces of stems and roots of
the collected specimens were separated, boiled according
to their hardness with drops of a commercially used
detergent and placed in 70( alcohol. Then, histological
cross-sections and longitudinal sections of the plants
were carried out with a sliding microtome. The best
sections were selected under a microscope, cleared with
sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and stained with safranine
fast green. Finally, they were mounted in articial
Canada balsam [6,14,15].
The histological sections were observed and photographed with a light microscope. This observation

M.F. Rodrguez / Journal of Archaeological Science 31 (2004) 1361e1372

1365

Fig. 4. Adesmia horrida. Archaeological charcoal. Scanning Electron Micrographs. (a) Sample 10, layer 3, in CS; (b) sample 11, layer 3, in TLS, detail
of rays; (c) sample 10, layer 3, in RLS; (d, e) sample 9, layer 3: (d) in CS, (e) in TLS; (f) sample 12 (root), layer 3, in CS; (g) sample 12, layer 3, in RLS.
Bars: aeg Z 100 mm.

allowed the analysis of the anatomy of the present day

plants taking into account the following characters:
vessels (shape, size, quantity and disposition), parenchyma (type and disposition), rays (length and quantity,
cell type), bers (quantity and characteristics), growth
rings (marked or not). Cross and longitudinal sections
were considered (Figs. 8e10).
3.2. Examined material
The present day material mentioned here is only that
which corresponds to the archaeological species recovered in PP9.
- Acantholippia deserticola (Phil.) Moldenke
Argentina, Catamarca, Antofagasta de la Sierra
Department, 3600 m altitude, Collector: M. Fernanda
Rodr guez (December, 1998), Rodrguez 1 (SI).

- Adesmia horrida Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.

Argentina, Catamarca, Antofagasta de la Sierra
Department, 3600 m altitude, Collector: M. Fernanda
Rodr guez (March, 1996), SI 28288.
Argentina, Catamarca, Antofagasta de la Sierra
Department, 4000 m altitude, Collector: M. Fernanda
Rodr guez (December, 1998), Rodrguez 13 (SI).
Argentina, Catamarca, Antofagasta de la
Sierra Department, 3600 m altitude, Collector:
M. Fernanda Rodr guez (November, 1999), Rodrguez
20 (SI).
- Fabiana bryoides Phil.
Argentina, Catamarca, Antofagasta de la Sierra
Department, 3650 m altitude, Collector: M. Fernanda
Rodr guez (January, 1994), SI 28217.
Argentina, Catamarca, Antofagasta de la Sierra
Department, 3650 m altitude, Collector: M. Fernanda
Rodr guez (March, 1996), SI 28331.

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Fig. 5. Adesmia horrida. Archaeological charcoal. Scanning Electron Micrographs. (aec) Sample 13 (root), layer 3: (a) in CS, (b) in CS, detail of
radial cells and pits, (c) in TLS; (def) sample 17, layer 3: (d) in CS, (e) in CS, detail of radial cells with pits, (f) in TLS; (g, h) sample 1, layer 4: (g) in
CS, (h) in TLS. Bars: a Z 100 mm, b Z 6 mm; c, d Z 30 mm; e Z 6 mm; f Z 30 mm; g, h Z 100 mm.

Argentina, Catamarca, Antofagasta de la Sierra

Department, 3650 m altitude, Collector: M. Fernanda
Rodr guez (January, 1994), SI 28217.
- Parastrephia quadrangularis (Meyen) Cabrera
Argentina, Catamarca, Antofagasta de la Sierra
Department, 3600 m altitude, Collector: M. Fernanda
Rodr guez (March, 1996), SI 28325.

3.3. Archaeological material

The excavation of the site was carried out by sectorial
decapage following natural layers. At each level of
occupation squares of 1 m!1 m were drawn and subdivided into microsectors of 0:5 m!0:5 m. The last ones
were the real units of excavation. Within each one of
these the documented material was separated into oors
of scale 1:10 and collected in a sieve (mesh of 1.5 mm) [2].

From recovered plant macroremains, the woody

species (charcoal) were considered. Cross and longitudinal sections of pieces of charcoal were carried out with
razor blades under a microscope. They were observed
and photographed using a Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM) at the Smithsonian Institution Laboratory (Figs.
2e7).
The scientic identication was made by anatomical
and morphological comparison with present day woody
material of reference collection, considering the characters mentioned above.
3.4. Examined material
Layer 3: lot M88, samples 1e17, recovered from
microsector D4A.
Layer 4: lot M99, samples 1 and 2, recovered from
microsector E4B.

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Fig. 6. Fabiana bryoides. Archaeological charcoal. Scanning Electron Micrographs. (a, b) Sample 7, layer 3: (a) in CS, (b) in TLS; (cef) sample 2,
layer 4: (c, d) in CS, (e) in TLS, (f) in TLS, detail of rays and vessels with pits. Bars: a, b Z 30 mm; c Z 200 mm; d, e Z 100 mm; f Z 10 mm.

4. Results
In the archaeobotanical record of the site PP9, the
following woody species used as fuel were recovered.
Both archaeological and reference present day material
were described.

(1) Acantholippia deserticola (Phil.) Moldenke. Family Verbenaceae. Vernacular name: rica-rica (Figs. 2
and 8)
Cross-section (CS) [Figs. 2 (a, b) and 8 (a, b)]
Marked growth rings. Subcircular porosity. Vessels
with angular contour and thickened walls. These

Fig. 7. Parastrephia quadrangularis. Archaeological charcoal. Scanning Electron Micrographs. (aec) Sample 8, layer 3: (a) in CS, (b) in TLS, detail of
rays, (c) in RLS. Bars: a, b Z 30 mm; c Z 100 mm.

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M.F. Rodrguez / Journal of Archaeological Science 31 (2004) 1361e1372

Fig. 8. Acantholippia deserticola. Comparative present day material. Light microscope micrographs. (a, b) Stem in CS; (c, d) stem in TLS. Bars:
aed Z 50 mm.

elements are disposed in short (2e3 vessels wide) radial

and tangential series, bundles and solitary vessels. There
are also few large (6 vessels) series. Fibers with thickened
walls, sometimes surrounding the vessels. Vasicentric
paratracheal axial parenchyma with thin wall cells.
Tangential longitudinal section (TLS) [Figs. 2 (c, d)
and 8 (c, d)]
Vascular elements relatively large are connected by
alternating border pits and simple and oblique perforation plates. Heterogeneous ray system; uniserial and
pluriserial rays (2e4 cells). Heterocellular rays. Helical
secondary thickenings throughout body of vessel
element.
Archaeological material (Fig. 2)
Samples 14 and 16. Lot M88. Layer 3.
(2) Adesmia horrida Gillies ex Hook. & Arn., Family
Fabaceae. Vernacular name: anawa (Figs. 3e5 and 9)
Cross-section [Figs. 3 (a, c, e), 4 (a, d, e), 5 (a, b, d, e,
g) and 9 (a, b)]
Marked growth rings. Subcircular porosity in the stem
and diuse in the root. Vessels with circular contour and
thick walls. In the stem, vessels in tangential series and
a dendrite disposition. There are also bundles, short (2e3
vessels) and long (7e9 vessels) seried rays and a few
solitary vessels. In the root, most of the vessels are solitary
but there are also some short radial and tangential series.
Abundant bers with thickened walls. Paratracheal axial

parenchyma in bands in stem and root. Parenchyma cells

with thin walls. Crystalliferous radial parenchyma.
Tangential [Figs. 3 (b, d, f), 4 (b, e), 5 (c, f, h), 9 (c,
d)] and radial [Figs. 4 (c, g) and 9 (e)] longitudinal
sections (RLS)
Vascular elements relatively short; communicated by
alternating border pits and simple and oblique perforation plates. Heterogeneous radial system. Few uniserial
and numerous pluriserial radios with 2e3 cells of width
in the stem and 3e10 cells of width in the root. Helical
secondary thickenings throughout the body of vessel
element. Heterocellular rays; vertical, cubic and procumbent cells (RLS).
Archaeological material (Figs. 3e5)
Samples 1e6, 9e13, 15 and 17. Lot M88. Layer 3.
Sample 1. Lot M99. Layer 4.
(3) Fabiana bryoides Phil., Family Solanaceae.
Vernacular name: pata de perdiz (Figs. 6 and 10)
Cross-section [Figs. 6 (a, c, d) and 10 (a, b)]
Marked growth rings. Subcircular porosity. Vessels
with angular contour and thin walls; solitary, short (2e3
vessels) radial and tangential series. The scarce axial
parenchyma is paratracheal and diuse apotracheal.
There is also an initial parenchyma, which limited the
growth rings together with the vessels.
Tangential longitudinal section [Figs. 6 (b, e, f) and
10 (c)]

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1369

Fig. 9. Adesmia horrida. Comparative present day material. Light microscope micrographs. (a, b) in CS: (a) stem, (b) root; (c, d) stem in TLS; (e) stem
in RLS. Bars: aee = 50 mm.

Vascular elements with variable size; simple perforation plates, more or less oblique. The brotracheids
present thin walls; border pits. Heterocellular rays.
Heterogeneous ray system; uniseriated and partially
biseriated rays.
Archaeological material (Fig. 6)
Sample 7. Lot M88. Layer 3.
Sample 2. Lot M99. Layer 4.
(4) Parastrephia quadrangularis (Meyen) Cabrera, Family Asteraceae. Vernacular name: tolar (Figs. 7 and 10)
Cross-section [Figs. 7 (a) and 10 (d)]
No marked growth rings. Diuse porosity. Vessels
with circular contour and very reduced diameter. They
are found solitary, in bundles, in short (2e3 vessels) and

long (7e10 vessels) radial series and among the rays and
the bers with a dendritic tendency. Abundant bers
with thickened walls. Diuse and scarce paratracheal
axial parenchyma.
Tangential [Figs. 7 (b) and 10 (e)] and radial [Figs. 7
(c) and 10 ( f)] longitudinal sections
Vascular elements relatively short; connected by
alternating simple border pits, but somewhat inclined
perforation plates. Fibers with scarce pits. Multiseriated
rays, but some of them have uniseriated portions; so that
the radial system is heterogeneous. Rays very high and
heterocellular, with vertical and procumbent cells.
Archaeological material (Fig. 7)
Sample 8. Lot M88. Layer 3.

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Fig. 10. Comparative present day material. Light microscope micrographs. (aec) Fabiana bryoides, stem: (a, b) in CS, (c) in TLS; (def) Parastrephia
quadrangularis, stem: (d) in CS, (e) in TLS, (f) in RLS. Bars: aef Z 50 mm.

The woody archaeological species recovered in PP9

(Fig. 11) were also collected in the area surrounding
the site. All of them grow in the rangeland and tolar
found there at present. So, these landscape units were
the probable source origin of the species used as fuel in
PP9. On this basis, the hypothesis formulated at the
beginning could be conrmed. It established the use of the
mentioned units by the inhabitants of PP9 to obtain
rewood.
Although, there are no radiocarbon dates for Sector
I, the contextual associations and samples dated from
the contiguous sector (Sector III) indicate the use of the
site during Late Holocene (4000 years BP and onward).
Since that period, the climate would have been similar to
the current one [11,12]. Therefore, plant communities of
the area then could have the same distribution and
characteristics to those found at present time. So, it is
possible to infer the distances travelled to obtain woody
plant resources.
Considering these present day plant resources, the
distances travelled range between 0 and 6 km from the

site. But it is probable that the radius increased up to

10e12 km when resources were scarce in the area
surrounding PP9.
The inhabitants of PP9 used four plant species for
rewood, but A. horrida was the one most found in
the archaeobotanical record (Figs. 2e7 and 11). The
16
14
Number of specimens

5. Discussion

12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Acanth.

Ad.

Fab.

Paras.

Species

Fig. 11. Woody species found in PP9. Abbreviations: Acanth.:

Acantholippia deserticola; Ad.: Adesmia horrida; Fab.: Fabiana
bryoides; Paras.: Parastrephia quadrangularis.

M.F. Rodrguez / Journal of Archaeological Science 31 (2004) 1361e1372

characteristics of the wood of Adesmia, a good fuel source

for its caloric power, allowed us to infer the importance of
this species for roasting meat and producing warmth [15].
The previously mentioned characteristics and its high
frequency found at present in the area explain the
abundance that was also found in the archaeological
record.
These plant species were recovered in other archaeological sites of the area, such as Cueva Salamanca 1,
Punta de la Pena 3, Punta de la Pena 4, Punta de la Pena
11 and Quebrada Seca 3. The rst four sites are situated
in Punta de la Pena archaeological locality, tolar
landscape unit, the same as PP9. Quebrada Seca 3 is in
Quebrada Seca archaeological locality, rangeland landscape unit [14e16].
The frequencies of woody species recovered from one
of these other sites, Quebrada Seca 3, level 2b5
(5380G70 years BP; BETA 59927, charcoal) were similar to those obtained in PP9 (Fig. 11). The level 2b5
corresponds to the end of the Middle Holocene and the
beginnings of the Late Holocene, therefore it is comparable to PP9, keeping in mind the chronology proposed for the latter site. In this level a high number of
specimens of A. horrida and a smaller quantity of P.
quadrangularis, F. bryoides and Fabiana punensis S.C.
Arroyo were recovered ([15], see Fig. 11). On the other
hand, at the archaeological sites located in Punta de la
Pena (Punta de la Pena 3, 4 and 11), all the plant species
present in the archaeobotanical record of PP9 were
recovered in layers and/or levels corresponding to the
Late Holocene. The Middle Holocene record of Cueva
Salamanca 1 is similar to that of PP9 by considering
plant remains [13,16].
It is interesting to emphasize the excellent conservation of the archaeological material due to the climatic
characteristics of the area. So, it is possible to discard
the taphonomic process, which could aect dierent
plant species preservation.
Lastly, from the methodological point of view, the
identication of plant species recovered in the archaeobotanical record was possible by the comparative anatomical analysis in relation to present day material collected
in the study area. Use of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) provided highly resolved detailed images
of stem and root structures of woody species (Figs. 2e7),
so that wood anatomy would not be transformed so
much by combustion. Thus, the structural analysis of
charred wood is possible in most of the cases.

Acknowledgements
I am grateful to the Smithsonian Institution for
nancial and technical support through a Short Term
Visitor Grant and to Dr. Bruce Smith for project guidance and advisory support.

1371

I specially thank Mrs Susann Braden for her invaluable help and assistance in the Scanning Electron
Microscope Laboratory.
I also thank Lic. Carlos Aschero for allowing me to
participate in his project and for his support during that
stage, to the Archaeologists Mar a del Pilar Babot and
Sara Mar a Luisa Lopez, for giving me information
about the archaeological site and to Dr. Jan Saunders
for her valuable help in the English revision of this
paper. The excavation of the archaeological site
was nanced by the projects: CIUNT G-105 and PICT
9888.

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