Alejandro Serna - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Alejandro Serna

Maize, one of the primary crops cultivated in South America, has achieved significant interest in... more Maize, one of the primary crops cultivated in South America, has achieved significant interest in regional archaeology. However, the study of maize in regions considered peripheral to major centres of agricultural production, such as Southern Chile, has received minimal attention. Southern Chile is the southernmost point for the dispersal of maize cultivation in the Americas, with archaeological evidence dating back ca. 1000 CE. Despite the manifest presence of maize, our knowledge of its culinary and economic importance for pre-colonial societies from Southern Chile is scarce. In this study, we extracted and analysed organic residues from 188 pottery sherds to explore the potential significance of maize in local foodways over the transition from the Early (ECP: 400-1000 CE) to the Late (LCP: 1000-1550 CE) Ceramic Period. Biomolecular and carbon-stable isotope (δ 13 C) analyses of lipids indicate that maize was not a staple. Instead, our findings suggest that maize had a potentially prominent role in preparing fermented beverages consumed in important socio-political gatherings and feasts. The significance of maize (Zea mays) production in pre-colonial Western South America has traditionally been a major focus of archaeological research. Evidence from the Andean regions and the Pacific coast indicate different levels of reliance on this crop from its early adoption ca. 4750 BCE to its incorporation as a staple food ca. 100 BCE (

Isotopic heterogeneity in U.S. Urban water supply systems reflects climatic, environmental, and sociodemographic factors: Implications for forensic identification. PLOS ONE.

En el Noreste de Patagonia se han hallado múltiples sitios con entierros humanos. En el valle del... more En el Noreste de Patagonia se han hallado múltiples sitios con entierros humanos. En el valle del río Negro los entierros comparten ciertas características, tales como ubicarse en sectores elevados y reutilizarse para realizar entierros y otras actividades. Este patrón también se observa en el valle del río Colorado y en la costa atlántica de Patagonia. Hacia el Sur del río Negro, en los bajos o "travesía", no hay información sobre sitios mortuorios, pero sí inmediatamente al Sur de la travesía, en el piedemonte y meseta de Somuncurá. En esta región los sitios funerarios se distinguen de los del Norte por ubicarse en oquedades rocosas, ser únicamente de entierro y por lo general contener acompañamiento mortuorio. Este trabajo presenta los resultados del análisis de los restos humanos del sitio Aguada Cecilio (piedemonte de Somuncurá, Río Negro, Argentina) y los discute en relación con la variabilidad del registro bioarqueológico del Noreste de Patagonia durante el Holoceno tardío. El sitio contiene únicamente restos de subadultos con signos de manipulación postmortem y una punta de proyectil asociada. Su incorporación a la información bioarqueológica regional permitió discutir la variación en el patrón funerario entre el Norte y Sur del interior del Noreste de Patagonia.

Science & Justice, 2024

Isotopic analysis of human tooth enamel can provide life history information useful in forensic i... more Isotopic analysis of human tooth enamel can provide life history information useful in forensic identifiation.
These applications depend on the availability of reference data documenting isotopic values for individuals with
known life history and on the comparability of data from reference and case work samples. Here we build on
previous methodological research, which has largely focused on paleontological and archaeological samples, and
conduct experiments using enamel from modern human teeth targeting three sample preparation variables
(sample particle size, storage conditions, and chemical pretreatments). Our results suggest that differences in
particle size affect the effiiency of sample reactions during pretreatment and analysis, with coarse particles
giving reduced loss of enamel carbonate during acid pretreatments but producing slightly higher oxygen isotope
values than fie particles during analysis. Data for samples stored in dry and ambient environments following
pretreatment were indistinguishable, suggesting no exchange of oxygen between samples and ambient water
vapor. Finally, chemical pretreatments with a range of commonly used reactants and conditions showed a
pervasive, moderate oxygen isotope shift associated with acetic acid treatment, which may be caused by exchange of enamel hydroxyl groups with reagents or rinse waters. Collectively, the results emphasize the
importance of methodological standardization to improve comparability and reduce potential for bias in the
forensic application of tooth enamel isotope data.

2023. González Venanzi et al. Special pet, special care. Diet, provenance, and health analyses of a dog reveal strong ties with humans in Patagonia, 2023

The introduction of the dog in Patagonia is recorded from the Late Holocene. Documents from the n... more The introduction of the dog in Patagonia is recorded from the Late Holocene. Documents from the nineteenth century indicate that dogs had various utilitarian roles among hunter-gatherers, including hunting aids, protection and war, carrying loads, and as exchange goods. Most of them had no special status, typically subsisting on food scraps and hunting leftovers, were in bad or poor physical and nutritional condition, and suffered physical abuse. Nevertheless, a select few dogs, including those of the hairless variety, received special care and attention from humans. They were in good physical and nutritional condition and appeared to have been used as companion animals of people with prestigious positions. These dogs were regularly provided with cooked food, owned horses, and even were offered sacrificed horses as a form of treatment during their illnesses. Through an interdisciplinary osteobiographical study (phenotype, age, stable isotopes –δ13C, δ15N, δ18O–, microremains of the dental calculus, paleopathology, and entheseal changes), we evaluate whether a dog recovered from a funerary context of Patagonian hunter-gatherers represents the archaeological correlate of a special position animal. The canid exhibited mobility impairments that surely prevented it from hunting large herbivores. Despite this, it was regularly fed meat from human prey and human-made meals containing fruits of Neltuma sp. and underground storage organs. Following its death, the dog was given an individual burial within a mortuary niche located in a dedicated area for human bodies. The results provide evidence that this canid held a special or distinct position, possibly indicating emotional bonds with the hunter-gatherers.

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2023

Ceramic technology makes an abrupt appearance in the New World Arctic at circa 2800 cal BP. While... more Ceramic technology makes an abrupt appearance in the New World Arctic at circa 2800 cal BP. While there is general consensus that the ultimate source of these Alaskan pottery traditions lay in continental NE Asia, the motivations for the adoption of pottery in Alaska have remained unclear. Through organic residue analysis we investigated the function of Norton pottery in Southwest Alaska, and the extent to which its function changed in later periods under the increasing northern inflence of Thule culture in the region (from ca. 1000 cal BP). Our results show clear evidence of aquatic resource processing in all pottery vessels. Regional variability due to environmental and ecological differences are apparent in the pottery. The majority of Norton pottery was from inland riverine locations and the function of this early pottery was to process anadromous fish, with only limited evidence of other resources. After 1000 cal BP more sites appear on the coast, and while pottery technology changes dramatically at this time, this is not as clear in pottery function which remains aimed at local abundant aquatic resources. We hypothesize that pottery was adopted into Alaska as part of a riverine adaptation and suggest that targeted human exploitation of large riverine systems may have facilitated its expansion into Southwest Alaska. Furthermore, we suggest that this pattern might extend back into Siberia where Alaskan pottery originates.

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology

This paper discusses the maize consumption record among hunter-gatherers outside assumed producti... more This paper discusses the maize consumption record among hunter-gatherers outside assumed production areas in northeastern Patagonia. We evaluated if this anomalous record is the result of occasional events of local production/consumption; the transport of the microremains in the teeth of individuals after consuming maize in non-local production areas; or the local consumption of maize after its transport/exchange from production areas. Archaeobotanical results showed that analyzed individuals, including maize-consumers, mainly consumed local wild plants. Maize was not cultivated locally, and its consumption was unusual but not extraordinary in northeastern Patagonia. Oxygen isotope values of analyzed individuals are strongly compatible with local water sources, which imply that the mobility range of them must have not exceeded extra-Andean North Patagonia. For this reason, the most plausible explanation for the presence of maize in the local archaeological record is that this plant to have entered northeastern Patagonia through exchange, probably from southern Andes (central Chile or central-west Argentina).

PLOS ONE, 2023

During the Late Holocene, hunter-gatherer interaction networks significantly grew in intensity an... more During the Late Holocene, hunter-gatherer interaction networks significantly grew in intensity and extension across Patagonia. Although this growth is evidenced by the increased flow of exotic items across the region, the mechanisms behind these strengthening social networks remain unclear. Since evidence suggests that some individuals might have performed long-distance trips, this article aims to address the potential relationship between these individuals and the flows of exotic items in North Patagonia. We analyzed 54 enamel teeth for strontium isotopes and reconstructed their probable mobility using mixed-effect models and isotope-based geographic assignments. We inferred population and individual mobility trends and compared them against the flow of exotic items built from a standardized compilation. Our results indicate that most individuals have isotopic composition compatible with residence within their burial and surrounding areas. However, a few individuals show isotopic composition incompatible with their burial areas, which suggests axes-from the burial location to the most likely isotope integration area-of extraordinary mobility. At the same time, the flows of exotic items overlap with these axes around the eastern sector of the study area suggesting that this location could have been a central point of convergence for people and items. We argue that small-scale socially driven mobility could have played a relevant role as a general mechanism of interaction that fostered and materialized Patagonian interaction networks during the Late Holocene.

Quaternary International, 2022

This work seeks to explore human mobility in the lower course of the Colorado River (Argentina) d... more This work seeks to explore human mobility in the lower course of the Colorado River (Argentina) during the Middle and Late Holocene (ca. 5900-250 years BP) through the analysis of stable oxygen isotopes (δ 18 O) of bone bioapatite. The δ 18 O values are interpreted and compared with those from North Patagonia and Western Pampas to evaluate mobility at a regional scale. Forty-one adult individuals of both sexes from 12 archaeological sites were analyzed. δ 18 O c values were transformed into drinking water (δ 18 O dw). The results were compared with the hydrological baseline generated for central-eastern North Patagonia and real rainfall data and predictive rainfall models. ẟ 18 O c values indicate higher values in individuals corresponding to Middle Holocene (− 0.7‰) compared with the Initial Late Holocene (− 3.1‰) and Final Late Holocene (− 2.3‰) and statistically significant differences between Middle Holocene and Late Holocene. Based on the δ 18 O dw values, 17.1% (7/41) correspond to hydrologic zones defined for central-eastern North Patagonia, and 48.8% to the real and predictive rainfall models. Although differences in δ 18 O dw values are observed between the Middle and Late Holocene, it is not yet possible to propose precise human mobility geographical directions in the study area. Nevertheless, during the Late Holocene, the δ 18 O c values showed that individuals buried in the study area could have shared some water sources with those from Western Pampas and nearby sectors from Northeastern Patagonia, such as the lower course of the Negro River.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences , 2022

This study discusses the biological and social implications of a disabling injury sufered by a La... more This study discusses the biological and social implications of a disabling injury sufered by a Late Holocene hunter-gatherer
from Northeastern Patagonia. Osseous modifcations were analysed through macroscopy, radiography, computed tomography,
and three-dimensional models. The diferential diagnoses followed bioarchaeological and modern clinical literature, and the
overall case was interpreted within the Bioarchaeology of Care theoretical framework. The individual presented a healed
fracture of the lateral tibial plateau, a highly disabling injury of the inferior limb, which constrained its locomotion and could
have caused new demands on other parts of the body. The restricted mobility produced by this type of fracture and the state
of remodelling imply that the individual received diferent levels of interpersonal attention throughout the progression of
the healing process. The model of care for this individual recognizes at least a stage of “direct support” for basic tasks in
the short-/medium-term and then “accommodation assistance” in the long-term while he became more autonomous. Apart
from thoroughly describing an infrequent injury, this study case provides clear evidence of interpersonal care strategies
among Patagonian hunter-gatherer

MAGALLANIA, 2022

Se presenta un estudio multi enfoque basado en entierros humanos provenientes de Laguna del Junca... more Se presenta un estudio multi enfoque basado en entierros humanos provenientes de Laguna del Juncal, depositados en forma de bochones en las colecciones de dos museos regionales del Alto Valle del Río Negro desde la década de 1970. Los restos presentan la característica coloración oscura que ha dado lugar a numerosas menciones a lo largo de la historia de la arqueología del río Negro. El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar la coloración de los restos (natural vs. antrópica) y evaluar su cronología. Para ello se presenta una caracterización bioarqueológica, cronológica y tafonómica de los individuos y sus matrices sedimentarias, utilizando análisis químicos y microscópicos. Se excavaron dos individuos, un adulto y otro subadulto, ambos con escaso material cultural asociado y fueron datados en 720 ± 24 y 754 ± 24 años AP respectivamente. La preservación del adulto es entre regular y buena, mientras que el subadulto presentó peor preservación. Mediante microanálisis químicos (MEB) se registró alto contenido de manganeso y hierro en los sedimentos, así como en el material óseo, lo cual explicaría su coloración oscura. Se discuten los resultados en el marco de los conocimientos actuales de los entierros del noreste de Patagonia.

Anales de Arqueología y Etnología, 2021

RESUMEN En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de la caracterización de la ancestría materna... more RESUMEN En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de la caracterización de la ancestría materna de dos individuos inhumados en el sitio arqueológico Chimpay, en el valle del río Negro, a finales del siglo XIX. Se trata del entierro doble de una mujer adulta con un variado y abundante acompañamiento funerario y de un hombre que vestía un uniforme militar del Estado argentino. En trabajos previos basados en el análisis de la evidencia arqueológica, bioarqueológica y etnohistórica se planteó como hipótesis principal que el contexto correspondía al entierro de un líder militar mapuche, aunque no se había confirmado fehacientemente la ancestría del individuo. A fin de contrastar esta hipótesis, se presentan aquí los resultados del análisis de la ascendencia materna de ambos individuos a partir del estudio de la secuencia de la HVR I del ADN mitocondrial (ADNmt). Como resultado se obtuvo la

Latin American Antiquity, 2020

This article discusses a Mapuche Indigenous mortuary context of the nineteenth century from the m... more This article discusses a Mapuche Indigenous mortuary context of the nineteenth century from the middle valley of the Negro River in northern Patagonia, Argentina, which is characterized by a double burial of a man and a woman. The use of both archaeological and ethnohistorical data allows us to hypothesize that the burial is of a man with a high status in the political and military hierarchy (cacique or capitanejo) and that the corpse of the woman was one of his wives who was sacrificed so she could accompany the man in his trip to Allhue Mapu, the land of souls. We contextualize this site with existing knowledge about the suttee practice in the Pampas and Norpatagonia during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This case is an example of the burial ritual known as suttee that occurred between the last decades of Indigenous autonomy (1850-1880) and the first decades after the state conquest of their territory (1880-1900). En este artículo se discute un contexto mortuorio indígena Mapuche del siglo diecinueve hallado en el valle medio del río Negro (norte de la Patagonia, Argentina) y caracterizado por el entierro doble de un hombre y una mujer. La articulación entre los datos arqueológicos y etnohistóricos nos permite hipotetizar que este entierro es el resultado del ritual funerario de un hombre con cierta jerarquía política y militar (cacique o capitanejo) y que el cadáver de la mujer habría sido incluido como resultado del sacrificio de una de sus esposas para acompañar al hombre en su viaje al Allhue Mapu o tierra de las almas. La interpretación de este sitio implicó su contextualización dentro del conocimiento existente en torno a la práctica del suttee en las Pampas y Norpatagonia durante los siglos dieciocho y diecinueve. Concluimos que este sitio podría ser el resultado de un ritual de entierro conocido como suttee y que este evento se produjo entre las últimas décadas de la autonomía indígena (1850-1880) y las primeras décadas luego de la conquista estatal de sus territorios (1880-1900).

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports , 2020

Central-eastern North Patagonia is characterized by a severe environmental fragmentation due to t... more Central-eastern North Patagonia is characterized by a severe environmental fragmentation due to the scarce and heterogeneous distribution of fresh water. The main local wet zones, the Negro and Colorado river valleys in the North and the Somuncurá Foothills in the South are separated by a large and harsh dry land, the travesía. In this paper, we assess the effects of this environmental fragmentation in the mobility of the Late Holocene hunter-gatherers through the analysis of the stable isotopes of oxygen in both enamel and water sources. We analyzed the δ 18 O of the enamel carbonate of 64 human teeth from 42 individuals from the Negro River valley (n = 30) and the Somuncurá Foothills (n = 12) and transformed them into drinking water values (δ 18 O dw) to be compared with an oxygen water baseline built from the most important surface water sources of the area. Our results show variable mobility, but they also highlight two trends regarding the direction of the movement. First, people buried at the Negro River valley seem to have consumed more regularly water from the Colorado River in the North than from other water sources located farther south (e.g. Somuncurá Foothills). Second, the δ 18 O dw values from the Somuncurá sample show east-to-west prevalent mobility along the foothills, far from the northern water sources (e.g. Colorado River). This weak connectivity between the northern and the southern parts of the study area (Negro and Colorado river valleys and Somuncurá Foothills) is probably related to the harsh environmental constraints imposed by the travesía. Our isotopic results in conjunction with the available archaeological and ethnohistorical data indicate that this large dry land acted as a marginal space in terms of human exploitation and that it certainly influenced human mobility.

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2020

Strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are used as geochemical tracers for paleomobility studies becau... more Strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are used as geochemical tracers for paleomobility studies because they display predictable and stable patterns in ecosystems primarily controlled by the underlying geological regimes. While bedrock geology is stable over thousands of years, geomorphological processes can influence the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in ecosystems over archeologically relevant timescales. Among these geomorphological processes, the deposition and reworking of volcanic sediments over Quaternary timescales are little studied but could be an important control of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr variations in many archeological regions. North Patagonia is a key archeological region to address animal and human movements, and an ideal location to test the influence of Quaternary volcanism on 87 Sr/ 86 Sr variation as it is located downwind of major volcanic centers. In this study, we aim to assess the main environmental and geological controls of bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and to build a high-resolution isoscape using a machine learning regression framework for forthcoming paleomobility studies. We sampled several locations and analyzed different types of samples (N ¼ 94). The ratios show a limited range of variation, which is not related to the bedrock geology. Rather, bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr variations display a progressive increase going eastward (away from the Andes), following dust aerosol deposition and elevation variations (R 2 ¼ 0.71, RMSE ¼ 0.00041). We argue that this trend relates to the deposition and reworking of unradiogenic volcanic sediments by aeolian, fluvial and glacial erosion during the Quaternary. As most of this sediment reworking occurred during glacial periods, the current bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr variations across the study area likely represent a long-term average that varied little during the Holocene. Consequently, our isoscape provides a solid base for Holocene paleo-mobility studies in North Patagonia and underlines the importance of Quaternary volcanism processes for interpreting 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data in paleomobility studies in volcanic regions.

Revista Argentina de Antropología Biológica, 2020

En este trabajo se presenta la primera aproximación al estudio de cambios entesiales sobre restos... more En este trabajo se presenta la primera aproximación al estudio de cambios entesiales sobre restos humanos procedentes del noreste de Patagonia. Teniendo en cuenta que dos de los métodos de registro frecuentemente utilizados están basados en supuestos diferentes, "Hawkey y Merbs" y "Coimbra", se propone comparar y discutir los resultados obtenidos a partir de la aplicación de ambos y la implementación de una nueva medida de cuantificación. Para ello, se analizan elementos óseos del miembro superior e inferior en una muestra procedente del valle medio del río Negro. Se calculó el error intraobservador y el análisis de los datos se basó en dos medidas de cuantificación: la presencia de al menos un cambio y el Índice de Afectación. La comparación entre métodos muestra tendencias diferentes. Mediante Hawkey y Merbs no se observa una tendencia clara de afectación, y desde Coimbra un mayor compromiso del miembro inferior.

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2019

The subject of this paper is to evaluate temporal variation of dento-alveolar lesions in hunter-g... more The subject of this paper is to evaluate temporal variation of dento-alveolar lesions in hunter-gatherer groups who inhabited the middle course of the Negro River during the late Holocene (ca. 3000-750 years BP) in order to discuss cultural practices and changes in the paleodiet. Caries, dental calculus, periodontal disease, periapical lesions, antemortem tooth loss, tooth wear, dislocation, and osteoarthrosic lesions in the temporomandibular joint were analysed. The sample is represented by 567 teeth and 547 alveoli, corresponding to 32 adult and subadult individuals, who were divided into two periods for comparative purposes: pre-1000 and post-1000 BP. The results indicate a low prevalence of oral lesions without differences between sex and age. In the pre-1000 BP period, there is a larger frequency of antemortem tooth loss, parafunctional wear of the anterior teeth, dental dislocations, and osteoarthrosis in the mandibular condyles compared with the post-1000 period. This tendency indicates that the individuals would have been exposed to greater stress in chewing. However, the variations were not significant, so there is no clear evidence of changes in the diet and particularly in carbohydrate and plant intake through the late Holocene. Severe tooth wear is the main factor that caused some pathologies (e.g., antemortem tooth loss), and limited the development of others (e.g., caries). The results obtained here agree with other microregions from northeastern Patagonia and differ from Humid Pampas, eastern Pampa-Patagonian transition, and lower course of the Negro River due to differences in carbohydrate consumption in the last ca. 1000 years BP.

Magallania, 2019

RESUMEN En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del estudio del conjunto arqueológico del sit... more RESUMEN En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del estudio del conjunto arqueológico del sitio Negro Muerto 3, ubicado en el sector norte de la cuenca media del río Negro (provincia de Río Negro, Argentina). En el marco de actividades de rescate arqueológico se obtuvieron restos óseos humanos (NMI=12), artefactos líticos, restos faunísticos y alfarería. Se definió un mínimo de dos ocupaciones residenciales (fechadas entre 900 y 1.300 años Cal. AP) y una ocupación vinculada con actividades mortuorias (para el único entierro datado se obtuvo una edad de 950 años Cal. AP). Las características de la tecnología lítica (producción y uso expeditivo de artefactos confeccionados sobre rocas locales) y el patrón de explotación de los recursos (consumo de bajo número de vertebrados grandes y medianos, y de una alta diversidad de especies menores de hábitats acuáticos y/o ribereños) son congruentes con lo observado en sitios similares de la misma cuenca. Entre los aspectos más destacables y novedosos del sitio debe mencionarse el registro de Zea mays en tártaro dental, con una edad probable de 950 años Cal. AP. La presencia de esta especie doméstica fue interpretada como producto de su ingreso al área desde sectores occidentales de Norpatagonia y no como resultado de su cultivo en el ámbito local. ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of the study of Negro Muerto 3, located in the northern sector of the middle basin of the Negro River (Río Negro province, Argentina). This site is located on the left bank of the

Int J Osteoarchaeo, 2019

Nowadays, wildlife is one of the most important sources of zoonoses, and it is a major concern fo... more Nowadays, wildlife is one of the most important sources of zoonoses, and it is a major concern for public health. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of wildlife as a reservoir and source of infectious diseases in the past. South America presents a wide diversity of wildlife. In the south of the continent, Argentina shelters a large diversity of neotropical carnivores. Although the paleoparasitological studies on carnivores have been increasing in southern Argentina, most of the efforts have been focused in a handful of sites located in western Patagonia. In this paper, two coprolites of felid found in Cueva Galpón, an initial late Holocene mortuary site from northeast Patagonia (Argentina), were studied for paleoparasitological purposes. Samples were processed by rehydration and homogenization, filtered and processed by spontaneous sedimentation. The samples were assigned to Puma concolor (puma) or Panthera onca (jaguar). Microscopic observations revealed that both coprolites were positive for parasite remains. High parasite richness was observed. Six nematodes, one cestode, and one coccidian morphotypes were reported. This is the first time that Gnathostoma sp. and Spirocerca sp. were recovered from holocenic times from Patagonia. This finding implies that some diseases such as taeniasis, spirocercosis, gnathostomosis, ascariasis, and coccidiosis could be present in holocenic wildlife from Patagonia prior to the Spanish colonization and domestic animal introduction. The overall results suggest that felids could have played a role as reservoirs and source of some parasitic species, some of which are zoonotic. Therefore, this animal could have entailed a risk agent for human health in the site.

Quaternary International, 2019

Archaeology has been using stable oxygen as an isotopic tracer linked with water consumption for ... more Archaeology has been using stable oxygen as an isotopic tracer linked with water consumption for decades, and it has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool to assess paleomobility in bioarchaeology. Central-eastern North Patagonia (Argentina) is an especially appropriate region to apply it since it presents a high density of hunter-gatherer burials, it was a nodal zone criss-crossed by an extensive network of important routes, and it is characterized by a high environmental fragmentation due to the scarcity of fresh water sources. The aim of this paper is to build an empirical stable oxygen isotope baseline of terrestrial surface waters to assess the potentiality of tracing past human movement. We analyzed 46 water samples from 13 locations with permanent sources (rivers, springs, streams), compared it with predictions of precipitation and evaluated it considering seasonal variation, altitude and distance from the coast. Our results show that different post-precipitation processes change the isotopic signal from the sources with respect to the local precipitation, and highlight the relevance of analyzing terrestrial water sources. According to their oxygen isotope values we defined five hydrologic zones: Colorado River, Negro River, Closed Basins and Plains, Eastern and Western Somuncurá Foothills. Their identification shows the potential to address past human movement using stable oxygen water baselines in central-eastern North Patagonia.