﻿Vol.2] 
  ANDEAN 
  HIGHLANDS 
  — 
  BENNETT 
  41 
  

  

  THE 
  ATACAMENO 
  

  

  The 
  Atacameno 
  occupied 
  the 
  desert 
  of 
  North 
  Chile, 
  the 
  Puna 
  of 
  

   Atacama, 
  and 
  the 
  Northwest 
  Argentina 
  region 
  of 
  Salta 
  and 
  Jujuy, 
  

   although 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  displaced 
  by 
  the 
  Diaguita 
  in 
  this 
  latter 
  area 
  in 
  

   •pre-Inca 
  times. 
  They 
  spoke 
  a 
  distinct 
  language, 
  called 
  Kunza. 
  Little 
  

   is 
  known 
  about 
  Atacameno 
  culture 
  except 
  through 
  archeology. 
  

  

  The 
  archeology 
  of 
  the 
  Coastal 
  section 
  of 
  North 
  Chile 
  (Bird, 
  this 
  

   volume, 
  pp. 
  587-594) 
  presents 
  evidence 
  of 
  two 
  Preagricultural 
  Periods 
  

   and 
  one 
  Agricultural 
  Pottery 
  Period, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  antedated 
  the 
  typi- 
  

   cal 
  Atacameno. 
  The 
  First 
  Preagricultural 
  Period, 
  found 
  in 
  middens 
  at 
  

   Arica, 
  Pisagua, 
  and 
  Taltal, 
  is 
  characterized 
  by 
  such 
  fishing 
  gear 
  as 
  shell 
  

   hooks, 
  composite 
  hooks 
  of 
  weights 
  and 
  bone 
  barbs, 
  and 
  harpoons 
  with 
  

   detachable 
  forepieces. 
  Percussion-flaked 
  tools, 
  stone 
  side 
  scrapers, 
  

   and 
  mortarlike 
  lava 
  bowls 
  are 
  also 
  found. 
  Burials 
  are 
  extended 
  on 
  

   and 
  covered 
  by 
  reed 
  mats, 
  and 
  particular 
  attention 
  was 
  paid 
  to 
  the 
  prep- 
  

   aration 
  of 
  mummified 
  infants. 
  The 
  lava 
  bowls 
  and 
  percussion-flaked 
  

   tools 
  carry 
  over 
  into 
  the 
  Second 
  Preagricultural 
  Period, 
  which 
  is 
  charac- 
  

   terized 
  by 
  triangular 
  points 
  with 
  concave 
  bases, 
  and 
  some 
  barbed 
  and 
  

   stemmed 
  points. 
  Fishhooks 
  are 
  of 
  thorn, 
  and 
  the 
  harpoons 
  have 
  bone 
  

   forepieces. 
  Bolas 
  and 
  spear 
  throwers 
  are 
  found. 
  The 
  burials 
  are 
  

   flexed, 
  folded 
  in 
  rush 
  mats, 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  bird- 
  or 
  guanaco-skin 
  

   robes. 
  In 
  the 
  First 
  Agricultural 
  Period, 
  coiled 
  basketry, 
  plain 
  pot- 
  

   tery, 
  weaving, 
  and 
  copper 
  appear 
  simultaneously. 
  Maize, 
  calabash, 
  

   and 
  cotton 
  appear 
  first, 
  and 
  beans 
  may 
  be 
  later. 
  The 
  burials 
  are 
  

   flexed, 
  rolled 
  in 
  rush 
  mats, 
  and 
  the 
  graves 
  are 
  marked 
  by 
  posts. 
  Al- 
  

   though 
  certain 
  features 
  of 
  this 
  First 
  Agricultural 
  Period 
  suggest 
  the 
  

   later 
  Atacameno, 
  it 
  seems 
  more 
  likely 
  that 
  the 
  ultimate 
  origin 
  of 
  this 
  

   culture 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  elsewhere 
  than 
  the 
  Coastal 
  region. 
  

  

  Isolated 
  groups 
  of 
  Atacameno 
  survived 
  in 
  North 
  Chile 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  

   Puna 
  of 
  Atacama 
  into 
  Spanish 
  times, 
  but, 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  evidence 
  from 
  

   the 
  Chilean 
  Coast, 
  the 
  culture 
  has 
  a 
  respectable 
  antiquity 
  in 
  the 
  inte- 
  

   rior. 
  In 
  Northwest 
  Argentina, 
  Atacameno 
  is 
  as 
  old, 
  if 
  not 
  older, 
  than 
  

   Diaguita, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Calama 
  region 
  definite 
  influence 
  of 
  Tiahuanaco 
  

   culture 
  is 
  clear. 
  

  

  The 
  Atacameno 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  great 
  traders, 
  and 
  are 
  some- 
  

   times 
  called 
  the 
  middlemen 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  Andes. 
  Their 
  culture 
  

   was 
  eclectic, 
  and 
  at 
  various 
  time 
  periods 
  incorporated 
  elements 
  from 
  the 
  

   Coast, 
  from 
  the 
  Tiahuanaco, 
  from 
  the 
  Diaguita, 
  from 
  the 
  so-called 
  

   " 
  Chincha" 
  culture 
  of 
  southern 
  Peru, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  Inca. 
  

  

  In 
  general, 
  the 
  Atacameno 
  culture 
  reflects 
  the 
  Central 
  Andean 
  pat- 
  

   tern, 
  although 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  the 
  limitations 
  of 
  the 
  terrain 
  restricted 
  

   its 
  development. 
  Agriculture 
  was 
  practiced 
  where 
  possible, 
  and 
  

   llama 
  herding 
  was 
  important. 
  Nowhere 
  is 
  there 
  any 
  great 
  elaboration 
  

   of 
  culture. 
  Since 
  trade 
  with 
  the 
  more 
  advanced 
  neighbors 
  was 
  com- 
  

   mon, 
  Atacameno 
  needs 
  and 
  crafts 
  were 
  modest. 
  The 
  ceramics 
  are 
  

  

  