Historia
In the last few centuries before the Spanish conquest, the Araucania Region was part of a larger sphere of interaction that extended beyond its boundaries and interacted with a local tradition that had lasted for thousands of years—the Agro-Ceramic Pitrén culture (100 – 1100 CE). With the emergence of the El Vergel culture, these relations were expressed in material culture through the emulation of Andean esthetics in ceramic and metal crafts, as well as through the presence of Andean crops such as potatoes, maize, quinoa, and others. While this development was occurring in the valleys and on the coast, the last of the Pitrén groups continued to inhabit the lakes region in the foothills. It is possible that both societies were living in the Araucania region when the Spanish conquistadors arrived, and that their collective response to the Hispanic arrival led to the emergence of what we know today as the Mapuche People. In the southern part of the region, the El Vergel ceramic tradition developed into what would later be known as the Valdivia style, which maintained but reorganized the same decorative elements. This seems to have occurred during colonial times and in response to Spanish influences.