Estudio carpológico de la flora actual y precolombina de la comunidad Paccha, cantón Chunchi

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop the chronological study of the current and pre-colombian flora in order to recover ancestral knowledge of the agricultural biodiversity. The study was carried out in three steps: making the flora inventory, making an archeobotany propective and characterizing taxonomically and morphologically the current and past seeds, in the Paccha town, Chunchivillage, Monte Puñay influence zone. In order to make the inventory of the flora the descriptive method and the observation technique were used, for the evaluation of the archeobotany, the dialectic method and the systematic observation technique were applied to interpret carpological contexs found in the archeobotany research, in the taxonomic and morphologic study the descriptive method and the direct observation technique were applied to identify the current seeds and compare them with the carpological remains. The result were: a total of 97 species of flora, 23% for human consumption, 9% for animal feed, 19% for medicine, 9% ornamentals, 5% artesanal plants, 9% timber species, and 26% wild species. Eight archeological sites were found with the following functionalities: habitable, agricultural unmade roads, grave objects, sacred and roads. Three carpological remains were recovered Piñan, Coraria tymifolia; Qhishuar, Buddleja incana; Mil mil, Senna spectabilis and the remains of pottery are related to the occupations of the Cañari culture in the Integration Period and Colonial Era. It is concluded that the carpological study contributed to recover the ancestral knowledge of the agro-biodiversity.

Keywords: carpological study, flora, ancestral knowledge, agricultural diversity.