﻿Vol.2] 
  ANDEAN 
  HIGHLANDS 
  — 
  BENNETT 
  3 
  

  

  characterized 
  by 
  punas. 
  The 
  Northern 
  Andes 
  include, 
  roughly, 
  Co- 
  

   lombia, 
  Ecuador, 
  and 
  Peru 
  north 
  of 
  Cajamarca. 
  Here 
  the 
  rainy 
  pe- 
  

   riods 
  continue 
  throughout 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  higher 
  regions 
  

   of 
  the 
  mountains, 
  between 
  about 
  10,800 
  feet 
  (3,300 
  m.) 
  and 
  the 
  snow 
  

   line, 
  are 
  typical 
  paramos 
  (pi. 
  16, 
  bottom, 
  left) 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  wet 
  rain 
  

   forest 
  or 
  wet 
  [brush 
  and 
  grassland. 
  The 
  Central 
  Andes 
  include 
  most 
  

   of 
  Peru, 
  Bolivia, 
  Northwest 
  Argentina, 
  and 
  North 
  Chile. 
  Here 
  there 
  

   are 
  contrasting 
  rainy 
  and 
  dry 
  seasons, 
  varying 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  7 
  months 
  in 
  

   duration, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  puna 
  above 
  13,000 
  feet 
  (about 
  4,000 
  m.) 
  is 
  

   covered 
  by 
  such 
  plant 
  life 
  as 
  the 
  tola 
  bush, 
  the 
  ichu 
  grass, 
  and 
  the 
  

   llareta 
  plant 
  (pi. 
  5). 
  In 
  southern 
  Bolivia 
  and 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  North 
  Chile, 
  

   desert 
  conditions 
  exist, 
  making 
  still 
  a 
  third 
  division 
  (pi. 
  2, 
  bottom). 
  

  

  The 
  Pacific 
  Coastal 
  plain 
  likewise 
  presents 
  contrasting 
  environ- 
  

   ments, 
  not 
  only 
  topographically 
  but 
  also 
  climatically. 
  Starting 
  in 
  

   southwestern 
  Ecuador, 
  desert 
  conditions 
  prevail 
  (pi. 
  8) 
  which 
  increase 
  

   in 
  intensity 
  down 
  the 
  Coast 
  of 
  Peru 
  to 
  a 
  maximum 
  in 
  North 
  Chile. 
  

   Farther 
  south, 
  in 
  the 
  Central 
  Valley 
  of 
  Chile 
  a 
  temperate 
  climate 
  is 
  

   found, 
  and 
  in 
  southern 
  Central 
  Chile, 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  Island 
  of 
  Chiloe, 
  

   the 
  Coast 
  is 
  covered 
  by 
  rain 
  forests 
  (pis. 
  10, 
  11). 
  In 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  con- 
  

   trast 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  Coast 
  desert 
  and 
  the 
  mountain 
  environments, 
  the 
  

   two 
  regions 
  have 
  been 
  closely 
  united 
  culturally. 
  A 
  sharper 
  cultural 
  

   contrast 
  existed 
  in 
  the 
  Chilean 
  Coastal 
  region, 
  particularly 
  in 
  the 
  area 
  

   of 
  the 
  heavy 
  rain 
  forest. 
  

  

  The 
  Amazon 
  tropics, 
  which 
  flank 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  Andes, 
  

   and 
  the 
  tropical 
  areas 
  of 
  the 
  Caribbean 
  Coast 
  of 
  Colombia, 
  and 
  the 
  

   Pacific 
  Coasts 
  of 
  Colombia 
  and 
  northern 
  Ecuador 
  have 
  long 
  been 
  true 
  

   cultural 
  barriers. 
  In 
  fact, 
  the 
  eastern 
  expansion 
  of 
  the 
  Andean 
  cul- 
  

   tures 
  was 
  blocked 
  by 
  the 
  grass 
  plains 
  of 
  Patagonia 
  and 
  the 
  Pampas 
  

   and 
  the 
  tropical 
  forests 
  of 
  Bolivia, 
  Brazil, 
  Colombia, 
  Peru, 
  and 
  Vene- 
  

   zuela. 
  

  

  Within 
  the 
  Highland 
  area 
  there 
  are 
  few 
  barriers 
  of 
  importance. 
  By 
  

   modern 
  transportation 
  standards, 
  based 
  on 
  railroads 
  and 
  automobile 
  

   highways, 
  the 
  high 
  mountain 
  ranges 
  present 
  many 
  problems, 
  but 
  in 
  

   terms 
  of 
  the 
  indigenous 
  cultures, 
  based 
  essentially 
  on 
  travel 
  by 
  foot 
  

   or 
  with 
  llamas 
  and 
  alpacas, 
  the 
  mountain 
  barriers 
  were 
  not 
  insur- 
  

   mountable. 
  In 
  fact, 
  within 
  itself 
  the 
  Highland 
  region 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  

   comparative 
  mobility, 
  the 
  chief 
  limiting 
  factor 
  being 
  distance. 
  

  

  CULTURAL 
  ORIGINS 
  

  

  EARLY 
  MIGRANTS 
  

  

  At 
  a 
  time 
  before 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  an 
  agricultural 
  pattern, 
  early 
  

   hunting 
  and 
  gathering 
  peoples 
  probably 
  occupied, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  migrated 
  

   through, 
  this 
  Andean 
  region. 
  Evidence 
  from 
  southern 
  Patagonia 
  

   shows 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  early 
  nomadic 
  hunters 
  at 
  a 
  time 
  estimated 
  at 
  

  

  