﻿10 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  This 
  basic 
  pattern, 
  which 
  is 
  generally 
  typical 
  of 
  the 
  Highlands, 
  

   is 
  demonstrably 
  old, 
  at 
  least 
  in 
  the 
  Central 
  Andes. 
  The 
  major 
  char- 
  

   acteristics 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  archeological 
  remains 
  of 
  the 
  earliest 
  agri- 
  

   cultural 
  periods 
  yet 
  discovered 
  in 
  Perti 
  and 
  Bolivia, 
  and 
  certainly 
  

   extend 
  back 
  to 
  a 
  time 
  at 
  least 
  approaching 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  Chris- 
  

   tian 
  Era. 
  In 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  antiquity 
  and 
  wide 
  spread 
  of 
  this 
  pattern, 
  

   numerous 
  cultural 
  divisions 
  are 
  apparent 
  in 
  the 
  total 
  area 
  considered. 
  

   The 
  basis 
  for 
  these 
  divisions, 
  which 
  involves 
  geographic 
  and 
  temporal 
  

   factors 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  cultural 
  ones, 
  is 
  discussed 
  in 
  the 
  next 
  section. 
  

  

  HIGHLAND 
  CULTURAL 
  DIVISIONS 
  

  

  The 
  countries 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  Highland 
  region 
  can 
  be 
  analyzed 
  in 
  

   terms 
  of 
  the 
  factors 
  favoring 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  Highland 
  cul- 
  

   tural 
  pattern, 
  as 
  outlined 
  in 
  the 
  preceding 
  pages. 
  Some 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  

   environmental 
  factors, 
  since 
  intensive 
  agriculture 
  is 
  basic, 
  such 
  as 
  

   availability 
  of 
  flat 
  lands 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  soil 
  is 
  both 
  rich 
  and 
  workable 
  

   with 
  simple 
  tools, 
  that 
  is, 
  not 
  covered 
  with 
  natural 
  vegetation 
  too 
  

   difficult 
  to 
  remove. 
  The 
  climate 
  should 
  be 
  genial 
  and 
  preferably 
  of 
  

   seasonal 
  contrasts 
  with 
  ample 
  rainfall. 
  In 
  some 
  areas, 
  the 
  avail- 
  

   ability 
  of 
  grazing 
  land 
  is 
  of 
  considerable 
  importance. 
  In 
  the 
  moun- 
  

   tains, 
  altitude 
  zones 
  are 
  significant. 
  Four 
  zones 
  can 
  be 
  distinguished, 
  

   although 
  the 
  foot 
  elevation 
  differs 
  in 
  terms 
  of 
  latitudes: 
  tierra 
  caliente, 
  

   generally 
  below 
  3,000 
  feet 
  (about 
  900 
  m.); 
  tierra 
  templada 
  generally 
  

   3,000 
  to 
  6,500 
  feet 
  (about 
  900 
  to 
  1,700 
  m.); 
  tierra 
  fria 
  generally 
  6,500 
  

   to 
  10,000 
  feet 
  (about 
  1,700 
  to 
  3,000 
  m.); 
  and 
  the 
  punas 
  or 
  paramos, 
  

   generally 
  10,000 
  to 
  15,000 
  feet 
  (about 
  3,000 
  to 
  4,500 
  m.). 
  The 
  

   snow 
  line 
  starts 
  at 
  about 
  15,000 
  feet 
  (4,500 
  m.). 
  From 
  the 
  point 
  

   of 
  view 
  of 
  cultural 
  factors, 
  the 
  territory 
  should 
  have 
  sufficient 
  pro- 
  

   tection 
  to 
  permit 
  normal, 
  uninterrupted 
  growth, 
  but, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  

   should 
  not 
  be 
  too 
  isolated 
  for 
  the 
  exchange 
  of 
  ideas 
  with 
  neighboring 
  

   groups. 
  

  

  Some 
  favorable 
  sections 
  exist 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  Andean 
  countries, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   known 
  both 
  historically 
  and 
  archeologically 
  that 
  reasonably 
  advanced 
  

   agricultural 
  groups 
  occupied 
  these 
  regions. 
  Thus, 
  from 
  one 
  point 
  

   of 
  view, 
  the 
  Highlands 
  form 
  a 
  unit 
  which 
  stands 
  in 
  contrast 
  to 
  other 
  

   regions 
  of 
  South 
  America. 
  Nowhere 
  does 
  the 
  pattern, 
  so 
  character- 
  

   istic 
  of 
  the 
  Andes, 
  penetrate 
  to 
  any 
  great 
  extent 
  into 
  the 
  tropical 
  

   jungle 
  or 
  the 
  temperate 
  grass 
  plains. 
  Although 
  agriculture 
  is 
  also 
  

   characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  Amazon 
  region, 
  the 
  cultivation 
  techniques 
  and 
  

   the 
  orientation 
  of 
  other 
  cultural 
  features 
  around 
  the 
  agricultural 
  

   subsistence 
  is 
  quite 
  distinct. 
  

  

  In 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  basic 
  Highland 
  unity, 
  it 
  is 
  obvious, 
  even 
  on 
  super- 
  

   ficial 
  examination, 
  that 
  all 
  sections 
  did 
  not 
  achieve 
  the 
  same 
  intensity 
  

   of 
  development. 
  These 
  differences 
  cannot 
  be 
  wholly 
  explained 
  in 
  

   terms 
  of 
  the 
  geographical 
  environment. 
  The 
  large 
  intermont 
  basins 
  

  

  