North/South Archaic mobility in Dry Puna. Hunter- Gatherers from upper Azapa valley bassin, northern Chile.

Summary

The different models of hunter-gatherer mobility in South Central Andean area, despite its theoretical and conceptual factors, normally emphasize for the Archaic Period the complementarity between vegetation belt for various biotic resources, depending on availability, location and seasonality. Here we complement such models at a meso-scale level, based upon results from surveys and excavations in upper Azapa valley bassin, a region located at the foothills of the Northern Chile Cordillera. Our dataset includes open air and rockshelter sites and the chronological attributions are based on relative and absolute dating. The characterization of site’s function and the analysis of raw materials allows us to precise a north / south mobility, between the Peruvian southern highlands and Chilean northern ones, between 2,500 and 4,000 meters above seal level. Without excluding direct mobility of these groups to the high Puna to the east or to the Pacific coast to the west, or the acquisition via exchange of raw materials and products of foreign origin, we argue that settlement patterns between ~ 9500-1500 years BP, would correspond to a greater territorial reach over time associated to a significant rock art practice.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Re-pensando la/s Movilidad/es Andina/s: Nuevas Perspectivas en Torno al Viaje, Contacto, Interacción, Intercambio y Obtención de Recursos en los Andes Centro-Sur   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15042