Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

Cultures > Semi-arid North > Hunter-gatherers of the Semi-arid North

Art

Notable examples of artistic expression attributed to the hunter-gatherers of the early Archaic period are pieces of polished sandstone with geometric forms, known as discoidal or geometric stones. The function of these artifacts is unknown to date. The same material was sometimes used to manufacture projectile points. Other examples of their craftsmanship include circular stones perforated at the center, called piedras horadadas (perforated stones), which had an important symbolic value, as did the pendants and necklaces made of shell and stone beads that they left to accompany their dead.