Aproximación metodológica al estudio del poblamiento humano en los Andes de Santiago (Chile)

Abstract

By means of an interdisciplinary aproach, the cultural and economical process is analized in the mountainous ecosystem of Santiago. Geographically, 5 vegetational floors were recognized and 3 habitats being occupied by man on different ocassions. The operational units of domestic animal raising land and the human settlements were organized around 3 hidric (water) subsystem that formed the water network of the Andean Basin of Santiago. The archaeological analysis demostrated the existence of pre-historic human vestige in practically all of the 5 vegetational floors. The ethnohistorical information confirms the existance and permanence of hunter-collector well adapted to the environment who in scarce numbers practiced great mobility. The quantification of the primary productive potential of grass allowed us to estimate 42.140 heads of camelids supporting 2.000 natives. An unedited report by R. Herrera (1879) showed that domestic animals were rotated seasonally from "Veranadas" to "Invernadas" (Summer and winter locations) following a strict annual calendar. We concluded that human subsistance in this region, is feasable practically all year by alternate and seasonal use of different ecological steps. There is a tendency to remain longer on the Andean and Vega (open plain) floors due to its capacity to substain an appreciable amount of animals dung the summer.