﻿Vol.2] 
  THE 
  AYMARA 
  — 
  TSCHOPIK 
  519 
  

  

  Gathering 
  wild 
  foods. 
  — 
  Gathering 
  wild 
  foods 
  is 
  relatively 
  unim- 
  

   portant. 
  The 
  roots 
  and 
  shoots 
  of 
  totora 
  (Scirpus 
  tatora) 
  are 
  

   eaten 
  raw. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  wild 
  greens 
  are 
  eaten 
  raw 
  or 
  cooked 
  in 
  

   stews. 
  Certain 
  cactus 
  fruits 
  are 
  eaten 
  fresh 
  and 
  their 
  juice 
  used 
  to 
  

   sweeten 
  and 
  color 
  chicha. 
  Many 
  wild 
  plants 
  are 
  used 
  as 
  condiments 
  

   (in 
  Bolivia, 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  cultivated), 
  and 
  several 
  are 
  made 
  into 
  

   teas. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  shrubs 
  are 
  dried 
  and 
  used 
  for 
  fuel. 
  Much 
  

   dry 
  llama 
  manure 
  is 
  also 
  collected 
  for 
  fuel. 
  

  

  Certain 
  towns 
  specialize 
  in 
  making 
  salt 
  by 
  evaporating 
  water 
  from 
  

   salt 
  lakes 
  in 
  shallow 
  basins 
  of 
  porous 
  lava 
  or 
  pottery. 
  Other 
  

   towns 
  collect 
  edible 
  clays, 
  though 
  some 
  types 
  of 
  such 
  clay 
  are 
  secured 
  

   from 
  Quechua 
  territory 
  by 
  barter. 
  

  

  Domestic 
  bees 
  are 
  not 
  kept. 
  Hives 
  of 
  wild 
  bees 
  built 
  in 
  stone 
  walls 
  

   in 
  the 
  spring 
  are 
  torn 
  apart 
  (the 
  bees 
  are 
  not 
  smoked 
  out) 
  to 
  obtain 
  

   the 
  honey. 
  The 
  comb 
  is 
  squeezed 
  to 
  extract 
  the 
  honey, 
  but 
  the 
  wax 
  

   is 
  not 
  eaten. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  of 
  all 
  waterfowl 
  and 
  some 
  other 
  large 
  birds 
  are 
  eaten. 
  

   Usually, 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  nests 
  during 
  a 
  fishing 
  expedi- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  the 
  totora 
  reed 
  swamps. 
  Edible 
  larvae 
  are 
  collected 
  in 
  certain 
  

   rivers 
  (Have, 
  Desaguadero). 
  

  

  Hunting. 
  — 
  Although 
  the 
  mammalian 
  fauna 
  of 
  the 
  altiplano 
  is 
  

   scant, 
  bird 
  life 
  is 
  abundant. 
  Hunting 
  is 
  unimportant 
  in 
  Aymara 
  

   economy 
  and 
  techniques 
  are 
  not 
  elaborate. 
  The 
  principal 
  gear 
  con- 
  

   sists 
  of 
  plaited 
  woolen 
  slings 
  and 
  bolas 
  with 
  wooden 
  blocks 
  or 
  grooved 
  

   stones 
  for 
  balls 
  (fig. 
  44, 
  /). 
  Throwing 
  clubs, 
  bows 
  and 
  arrows, 
  pit- 
  

   falls, 
  and 
  spring-pole 
  traps 
  are 
  not 
  used. 
  Deadfalls 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  parts 
  

   of 
  Bolivia 
  (La 
  Barre, 
  ms.). 
  

  

  A 
  surround 
  is 
  used 
  to 
  hunt 
  foxes, 
  viscachas, 
  and 
  vicunas. 
  A 
  

   hunting 
  party 
  of 
  both 
  sexes 
  forms 
  two 
  lines 
  at 
  either 
  side 
  of, 
  or 
  a 
  ring 
  

   around, 
  a 
  fox's 
  den. 
  Accompanied 
  by 
  dogs, 
  they 
  approach, 
  beating 
  

   drums 
  and 
  blowing 
  wind 
  instruments. 
  When 
  the 
  fox 
  is 
  surrounded, 
  

   the 
  dogs 
  are 
  turned 
  on 
  it 
  or 
  it 
  is 
  dispatched 
  with 
  clubs. 
  Fox 
  skins 
  

   are 
  sold 
  or, 
  in 
  some 
  regions, 
  used 
  as 
  ornaments 
  for 
  dance 
  costumes. 
  

   In 
  Bolivia, 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  men 
  with 
  a 
  long 
  rope, 
  from 
  which 
  dangle 
  

   woolen 
  threads 
  and 
  sticks, 
  surround 
  a 
  herd 
  of 
  vicunas 
  (La 
  Barre, 
  ms.). 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  elaborate 
  technique 
  is 
  that 
  used 
  to 
  hunt 
  vicunas. 
  A 
  

   long 
  fence 
  (some 
  1,640 
  feet 
  (500 
  m.) 
  by 
  4.9 
  feet 
  (1.5 
  m.) 
  high) 
  is 
  built 
  

   across 
  a 
  pampa, 
  and 
  consists 
  of 
  forked 
  poles 
  planted 
  about 
  9 
  feet 
  

   (3 
  m.) 
  apart 
  and 
  joined 
  by 
  a 
  cord 
  from 
  which 
  hang 
  long 
  tassels 
  of 
  

   black 
  alpaca 
  wool. 
  Bolas 
  are 
  placed 
  across 
  the 
  forks. 
  The 
  hunters, 
  

   equipped 
  with 
  noise-makers 
  and 
  dogs, 
  drive 
  the 
  vicunas 
  toward 
  the 
  

   fence. 
  The 
  tassels, 
  blowing 
  in 
  the 
  wind, 
  frighten 
  the 
  animals 
  so 
  that 
  

   they 
  jump 
  at 
  the 
  forks, 
  and 
  their 
  feet 
  become 
  entangled 
  in 
  the 
  bolas. 
  

  

  A 
  simple 
  figure-four 
  trap 
  baited 
  with 
  quinoa 
  flour 
  is 
  used 
  in 
  fields 
  

   to 
  kill 
  wild 
  guinea 
  pigs 
  and 
  field 
  mice 
  (fig. 
  44, 
  g). 
  

  

  