Economía
The El Vergel people had a broad-based economy in which hunting and gathering on both land and water (rivers, lakes and sea) complemented their agricultural activities. They grew potatoes, quinoa, maize, beans and squash. They were highly skilled in handling guanaco, practicing semi-domestication by capturing wild young guanaco, which the early Spanish chroniclers called chilihueque. They also hunted sea lions, pudus (small native deer), foxes, otters, coypus (native rodent), frogs and aquatic birds, fished from the shore and gathered mollusks and plants such as reeds, wild strawberries and the fruit of the peumo tree.