ZooMS Analysis of Archaeological Bone Tools From the South American Lowlands in the Paraná Basin: New Insights Into Taxonomic Attribution

During the Late Holocene, hunter‐gatherers in the Lower Paraná wetland crafted a wide variety of bone tools. Although traditionally assumed as standardized, recently we found certain morphological, stylistic, and technological variability. Traditional taxonomic identifications based on morphology identified mainly the use of local deer species, but also camelids from the Pampas and non‐dietary carnivore species were detected as secondary bone materials. However, morphological identifications of bone tools are limited due to artifact manufacturing processes. In this study, we applied Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), a collagen‐based method, to identify otherwise undetectable species. Our results reveal a broader raw material spectrum, including a total of 13 identified lamoid bones over a sample of 32 tools. These findings enhance understanding of bone technology, territorial mobility, and resource exploitation in South American lowland hunter‐gatherers and highlight the potential of proteomics for archaeological studies in underrepresented regions.