…people invented the “three-beamed raft,” which allowed deep water fishing of species such as eel and houndshark. Miniatures of these craft were laid with these fishermen in their graves. The…
Settlement patterns
…of families probably lived together in semi-permanent camps or more stable villages wherever sufficient resources were available to support them—mainly places where fresh water was available by the sea, such…
Environment and Location
…that makes travel on land difficult, and there are few beaches for landing watercraft. The zone is characterized by consistently high rainfall of more than 2000 mm per year and…
Arte
…and occasional animal motifs. The teeth of sea lions and fox were drilled at the base to make pendants and necklaces. The walls of some caves in the region were…
Beliefs and funeral rites
…buried with their tools and other precious objects, from bows and arrows and harpoons to miniature models of boats, implying a belief that they would continue their seagoing ways in…
Ambiente y Localización
…climate in this period was more or less the same as it is today—Mediterranean with rain in the winter and long, dry summers. Scrubland (matorral) was the main form of…
Social organization
…The introduction of farming practices and the consolidation of village life led to an increasing social complexity in these societies. This new way of life required more social organization…
Art
…The artistic development of the Cabuza culture was marked by the influence of the Tiwanaku Empire. Motifs from the ruling culture became features of different Cabuza artistic forms. Wooden…
Economía
…The Bato had a diversified economy based on their very mobile way of life. On the seashore they exploited marine resources and the plant and animal life around estuaries,…
Environment and Location
…of the present day. The predominantly warm, dry climate led to the formation of steppe plant life and open woodland, creating a suitable habitat for a variety of herbivores, including…
Environment and Location
…far north, then gives way to the Tamarugal Pampa, with its vast forests of tamarugo, chañar and algarrobo. South of the Loa River is the absolute desert. On the coast,…
Environment and Geography
…tribe, while across the Strait of Magellan on Tierra del Fuego the last survivors of this way of life were the Selk`nam or Ona people, and the virtually unknown Haush….
Economy
…The Chonos belonged to the southern canoeist culture and were nomadic seafarers. Their vessels, called dalcas, were central to their way of life and were made of three planks…
Art
…from guanaco hair) that covered their backs and shoulders; and loincloths made from dried seaweed. Sources also mention that the women wore skirts of bird feathers tied around their waists….
Organización Social
…Tierra del Fuego’s Isla Grande was divided into haruwen (territories), each occupied by an extended family group. Selk’nam society was organized around four basic social institutions. The first was…
Environment and Location
…When the first humans arrived in the Americas, the glacial climate of the Pleistocene era was beginning to wane, and in the south of Chile the melting ice left…
Economy
…who hunted these camelids with bow and arrow and also with bolas. This activity was exclusive to the male members of the group, although both men and women fished and…
Settlement pattern
…their agricultural fields. The central dwelling of the village was the hare paenga, shaped like an inverted boat and measuring ten to fifteen meters long and two meters wide. Its…
Art
…smelting was introduced. The Mapuche combined these new techniques with their knowledge of metal sheetwork, traditionally used to manufacture copper jewelry. Over time, silver Mapuche jewelry became a central feature…
Settlement patterns
…ten people. The family traveled with its dogs, weapons and tools, and the leather sheet that was used as a tarp at campsites (tchelo). Contemporary sources also relate that Kawésqar…
Economy
…The Kawésqar were nomadic seafaring canoeists with a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. According to contemporary sources, their principal vessel was the tree-bark canoe (made preferably from coigüe wood), which was made…
Environment and Location
…with few beaches and dense woodlands reaching right to the water’s edge. The sea channels, about 480km (300 miles) long, are generally calm and easily navigable. The climate is cold…
History
…1973 the Yaghan language was the only significant indigenous trait still surviving, and it was dwindling towards extinction. The tribe’s first sporadic contact was with European sailors in the 16th…
Historia
…which exhibited great social complexity. Although they were incorporated into the Inka Empire around the year 1400, it was the Spanish conquest that dealt a serious blow to the social…