Moving: Hunter-gatherers and the cultural geography of South America

Abstract

The conditions under which the process of human colonization of South America took place are discussed. The modes of acquisition of environmental knowledge, as a way to construct a cultural geography, are also considered. An example concerning the peopling of the forests, particularly in Northwest South America, and the role of plants in the early stages of colonization is also offered. Finally the significance of non-utilitarian items, exchange, and empty lands for our understanding of the process of peopling is discussed.