Explorando la diversidad dietética en la prehistoria del desierto de Atacama: Un acercamiento a los patrones regionales

During its prehistory, Chile's desert north was occupied by numerous cultures scattered across the various ecological niches of the region. However, from the Late Archaic forward there is archaeological evidence for the sharing of resources and cultural elements across groups, a practice that intensified during the Middle and Late Intermediate Periods. We explored the dietary composition of local populations through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses. Our results show a high consumption of marine protein along the coast and nearby regions as well as a possible increase in maize consumption over time. Interestingly, these results show that there was substantial dietary variety internal to these groups. This supports the idea of a regular flow of people and food between the coast and the highlands throughout the prehistoric period.