Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104398 2352-409X/© 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Foods, beverages, and use of pottery in north-eastern Patagonia through plant microremains analysis Daniela Saghessi * , María Laura L´ opez , Ayl´ en Capparelli , Luciano Prates Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científcas y T´ ecnicas, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina Divisi´ on Arqueología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Av. 122 y 60 (1900), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Archaeobotany Foodways Hunter-gatherers Río Negro Late Holocene ABSTRACT This paper discusses the diversity of consumed plants among hunter-gatherers and their relationship with the use of pottery containers in north-eastern Patagonia. We evaluated this issue through analysis of microremains in potsherds from an archaeological site in the Negro river valley that has one of earliest records of pottery in the region. Archaeobotanical results showed the consumption of local and non-local wild species, and preparations previously undocumented for precolonial times in the study area. The processing of Neltuma sp. (algarrobo), available near the site, implied the combination of roasting and grinding and its use as an ingredient in different recipes. The consumption of underground storage organs, species not locally available, was possibly related to the cooking of stewed foods. Moreover, we provide the frst record of fermentation of Araucaria araucana in extra-Andean North Patagonia. This species would have entered the site from the Patagonian Andean Forests to make a beverage similar to the current muday. Finally, we observed the reuse of some containers in different processing-cooking-serving events, as well as the exclusive use of other pieces for the preparation/consumption of beverages and food. 1. Introduction From ca. 12000 years BP until the 18th century, humans in Patagonia based their subsistence on hunting, fshing, and gathering (e.g., Borrero, 2001; Miotti and Salemme, 2004; P´ erez et al., 2016; Prates et al., 2020). During most of this period, they consumed raw, roasted or toasted food. Although dry heat-cooking techniques remained important until colo- nial times, after the adoption of pottery around 2000 years ago (e.g., Prates, 2008; G´ omez Otero et al., 2010; Martínez et al., 2014; P´ erez et al., 2017; Borella et al., 2020) they started cooking by boiling and stewing as well (Musaubach and Ber´ on, 2016; Ciampagna et al., 2021). This led to prominent changes in diet. Pottery allowed a different use of resources and the combination of animal and plant products in the same meal (Rice, 1996a, b; Politis et al., 2001; Schuster, 2020), the con- sumption of some plants that only become edible after wet cooking (e.g., tubers) (Ciampagna et al., 2021), and the preparation of a greater va- riety of food types (solid, semi-solid and liquid) (P´ erez and Erra, 2011; P´ erez et al., 2013; Cassiodoro and Tessone, 2014; Di Prado, 2016). Another prominent impact of pottery was the increase in storage and transport resources, especially water (G´ omez Otero, 2007; Aldazabal, 2011; Schuster, 2020) and food (e.g., fruits, seeds, dry meat, and animal fat) (Aldazabal, 2011; G´ omez Otero et al., 2014; Schuster, 2020). Although paleodiet studies on Patagonian hunter-gatherers is a growing research feld (e.g., stable isotopes -Schuster, 2014; Chaile et al., 2018-, fatty acids -Cordero and March 2013; Stoessel et al., 2015-, plant macro and microremains -P´ erez and Erra, 2011; Capparelli and Prates, 2015; Ciampagna, 2015; Musaubach and Ber´ on, 2016-), the specifc impact of pottery in the diversity of foods has been poorly addressed. In this paper, we characterize the diversity of consumed plants and post-harvest practices (sensu Capparelli and Lema, 2011) in eastern Norpatagonia through the analysis of plants microremains from Angostura 1 (middle Negro river valley) (Fig. 1A), one of the sites with the higher quantity of pottery in Patagonia. Our study shows the pro- cessing of plants with no previous archaeological evidence of human consumption for the area, and the making of fermented beverages. 2. Materials and methods The study area belongs phytogeographically to the Southern district of the Monte Province (Cabrera, 1976; Roig et al., 2009), specifcally to the Monte Oriental unit (Fig. 1A) (Le´ on et al., 1998; Oyarzabal et al., 2018), and is characterized by an arid/semi-arid climate (Bruniard, * Corresponding author. E-mail address: dsaghessi@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar (D. Saghessi). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jasrep https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104398 Received 14 September 2023; Received in revised form 8 January 2024; Accepted 14 January 2024