Ancient Hunting Strategies of Wild Camelids Through the Study of Multiple Lines of Archaeological Evidences at Southern Argentine Puna

Abstract

In recent decades, wild camelids hunting strategies have been a topic ofinterest for several research groups in Argentina?s southern Puna in NorthwesternArgentina. In this chapter, we present a synthesis of hunting strategies models thatwould have been implemented at Antofagasta de la Sierra (Catamarca, Argentina)in a long-lasting account that covers the entire Holocene. The models we will treatwere defined for two discrete areas within this Puna environment: Quebrada Seca andthe Antofalla ravine. For both areas, different hunting models were postulated basedon the combination of a series of variables such as landscape features and weaponsystems. They varied in time and space for both areas, although vicuñas were acommon factor as hunting prey. Our interest here lies, then, in reflexively evaluatingthese models in order to form a theoretical, methodological, and technical basis forthe study of pre-Hispanic hunting practices in the higher Andes environment.