The present study analyses small mammal bone and tooth accumulations recovered in three open-air archaeological sites from northern Mendoza (Argentina) in the central Monte Desert, one of the most arid rangelands of South America. The sites, with radiocarbon dates between ca. 2100 and 400 years BP, are located on the margins of a now-extinct swamp that formed a more widespread wetland environment in the past. In order to recognize the agents responsible for such bone and tooth accumulations, a taphonomic analysis was conducted evaluating relative abundances of skeletal elements, breakage patterns, digestive corrosion, signs of anthropic activity and post-depositional processes. The taphonomic analysis allowed the detection of owls and humans as the agents responsible for small mammal accumulations. On the one hand, the low proportion and degree of digested diagnostic elements, among other taphonomic processes, suggest owl pellet-derived small mammal assemblages. On the other hand, the thermo-altered elements detected, some showing a differential burning pattern, the abundance of large-sized and gregarious small mammals and the identification of cut-marks on a caviid femur shaft are possibly due to human exploitation/consumption of small mammals.

本研究分析了在南美中部干旱地区之一的蒙特沙漠中部门多萨（阿根廷）北部三个考古遗址中回收的小型哺乳动物的骨骼和牙齿。这些地点的放射性碳年代在大约BP 2100年至400年之间，位于一个现已灭绝的沼泽的边缘，该沼泽过去形成了更广泛的湿地环境。为了识别造成这种骨骼和牙齿积聚的因素，进行了一项染色体分析，评估了骨骼元素的相对丰度，破损模式，消化腐蚀，人类活动的迹象和沉积后的过程。离子色谱分析可以检测猫头鹰和人类，它们是导致哺乳动物少量积累的媒介。一方面，消化诊断元素的比例和程度低，以及其他的成语过程，提示猫头鹰颗粒来源的小型哺乳动物组合。另一方面，检测到的热改变元素，其中一些表现出不同的燃烧模式，大量大型且群居的小型哺乳动物以及在股骨股骨干轴上的切痕的识别可能是由于人类的剥削/食用小哺乳动物。