OSTEOARTHROSIS IN THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN OF ANCIENT POPULATIONS FROM CENTRAL-NORTH MENDOZA DURING THE LATE HOLOCENE

Since a few years ago, several studies have been carried out to analyze the impact of economic changes produced in the center-north of Mendoza during the late Holocene on the development of skeletal pathologies and stress patterns. This study presents the results of an analysis of spinal osteoarthrosis (OA) on 26 individuals belonging to six archaeological sites, considering the chronological (before and after 1000 BP) and geomorphological (Mountain and Plain) divisions proposed in previous investigations. A trend towards a greater development of OA, particularly in the dorsal and lumbar segments, was observed within groups associated with economies primarily based on hunting and gathering. By contrast, individuals belonging to later periods, associated with a greater intake of domesticated resources, and including Inka rule and contact with Spanish conquistadores, show lower incidence rates and severity. Our results add to the existing knowledge about OA in the different groups that inhabited the region during the late Holocene.