﻿A 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  B. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  present-day 
  Indians. 
  In 
  this 
  region, 
  therefore, 
  the 
  possibilities 
  exist 
  

   for 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  long-term 
  cultural 
  trends: 
  through 
  the 
  five 
  periods 
  of 
  the 
  

   archeological 
  past, 
  during 
  the 
  era 
  of 
  Colonial 
  and 
  Republican 
  history, 
  

   and 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  day. 
  Furthermore, 
  interpretation 
  of 
  many 
  of 
  

   the 
  archeological 
  finds 
  is 
  aided 
  by 
  the 
  historical 
  references 
  and 
  the 
  

   contemporary 
  Indian 
  studies. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  select 
  a 
  consistent 
  time 
  period 
  for 
  describing 
  the 
  

   Indian 
  cultures 
  of 
  the 
  Andean 
  region 
  as 
  a 
  whole. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  tribes 
  

   have 
  long 
  since 
  disappeared. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  peoples 
  have 
  

   merged 
  with 
  the 
  Spanish 
  conquerors 
  and 
  survive 
  today 
  as 
  Mestizos, 
  

   mixed 
  both 
  culturally 
  and 
  physically. 
  Even 
  the 
  Indians 
  who 
  have 
  

   survived 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  have 
  had 
  their 
  culture 
  decidedly 
  modified 
  

   by 
  the 
  400 
  years 
  of 
  European 
  association. 
  Consequently, 
  various 
  

   time 
  periods 
  are 
  recognized 
  in 
  this 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  Highlands, 
  in- 
  

   cluding 
  the 
  archeological 
  past, 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  Conquest, 
  the 
  Colonial 
  

   history, 
  and 
  the 
  present 
  day. 
  

  

  This 
  introductory 
  statement 
  is 
  concerned 
  with 
  the 
  Highland 
  region 
  

   as 
  a 
  whole 
  rather 
  than 
  with 
  detailed 
  description 
  of 
  any 
  particular 
  cul- 
  

   ture. 
  In 
  terms 
  of 
  modern 
  political 
  divisions, 
  the 
  Highlands 
  include 
  

   the 
  aboriginal 
  cultures 
  in 
  the 
  mountainous 
  areas 
  of 
  Colombia, 
  Ecuador, 
  

   Peru, 
  Bolivia, 
  Northwest 
  Argentina, 
  and 
  Chile. 
  The 
  western 
  Coastal 
  

   plains 
  of 
  Ecuador, 
  Peru, 
  and 
  Chile 
  are 
  also 
  covered 
  here. 
  The 
  whole 
  

   area 
  is 
  dominated 
  by 
  the 
  Andes 
  Mountains 
  from 
  Colombia 
  to 
  Chile, 
  

   a 
  strip 
  over 
  3,600 
  miles 
  (5,760 
  km.) 
  in 
  length 
  down 
  the 
  western 
  Coast 
  

   of 
  South 
  America 
  and 
  varying 
  in 
  width 
  from 
  100 
  to 
  400 
  miles 
  (160 
  to 
  

   640 
  km.). 
  

  

  A 
  detailed 
  geographic 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  Andes 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  else- 
  

   where 
  in 
  the 
  Handbook. 
  (See 
  Sauer, 
  vol. 
  5.) 
  In 
  a 
  simplified 
  general 
  

   view, 
  the 
  Andes 
  Mountains 
  consist 
  of 
  three 
  principal 
  ranges 
  running 
  

   parallel, 
  north 
  to 
  south 
  in 
  Colombia, 
  which 
  merge 
  into 
  two 
  parallel 
  

   ranges 
  in 
  Ecuador. 
  In 
  Peru 
  this 
  parallel 
  arrangement 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  

   found 
  but 
  rather 
  shorter 
  ranges 
  which 
  run 
  diagonally. 
  In 
  Bolivia 
  

   there 
  are 
  again 
  two 
  north-to-south 
  ranges 
  plus 
  a 
  third 
  which 
  cuts 
  

   eastward 
  to 
  form 
  the 
  maximum 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  Andes. 
  To 
  the 
  south, 
  

   the 
  Andes 
  are 
  represented 
  by 
  a 
  single 
  major 
  range 
  which 
  separates 
  

   Chile 
  and 
  Argentina. 
  

  

  From 
  one 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  the 
  Highlands 
  are 
  united 
  geographically 
  by 
  

   the 
  dominant 
  Andes. 
  Some 
  57 
  peaks 
  extend 
  above 
  17,500 
  feet 
  (5,300 
  

   m.) 
  in 
  altitude. 
  Everywhere 
  the 
  Andes 
  present 
  formidable 
  barriers, 
  

   directing 
  migration, 
  limiting 
  areas 
  of 
  expansion. 
  Most 
  passes 
  in 
  the 
  

   mountains 
  are 
  over 
  12,000 
  feet 
  (3,600 
  m.) 
  in 
  altitude 
  (pi. 
  1). 
  Altitude 
  

   zones 
  are 
  important 
  in 
  terms 
  of 
  human 
  habitation. 
  However, 
  from 
  

   another 
  view 
  the 
  so-called 
  Highlands 
  include 
  several 
  contrasting 
  en- 
  

   vironments. 
  The 
  mountain 
  region 
  itself 
  can 
  be 
  roughly 
  divided 
  into 
  

   the 
  Northern 
  Andes, 
  characterized 
  by 
  paramos, 
  and 
  the 
  Central 
  Andes, 
  

  

  