﻿Part 
  3. 
  The 
  Southern 
  Andes 
  

  

  THE 
  CULTURAL 
  SEQUENCE 
  OF 
  THE 
  

   NORTH 
  CHILEAN 
  COAST 
  

  

  By 
  Junius 
  B. 
  Bikd 
  

  

  ENVIRONMENT 
  

  

  North 
  Chile, 
  generally 
  considered 
  as 
  the 
  portion 
  lying 
  between 
  

   lat. 
  18° 
  and 
  30°30' 
  S., 
  from 
  Arica 
  to 
  a 
  little 
  south 
  of 
  Coquimbo, 
  is 
  one 
  

   of 
  the 
  most 
  satisfactory 
  areas 
  in 
  South 
  America 
  from 
  an 
  archeol- 
  

   ogist's 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  (map 
  1, 
  No. 
  7). 
  

  

  Given 
  the 
  time 
  and 
  means, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  information 
  about 
  the 
  

   former 
  inhabitants, 
  except 
  their 
  language, 
  folklore, 
  and 
  social 
  organ- 
  

   ization, 
  which 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  recovered. 
  As 
  in 
  the 
  desert 
  portions 
  of 
  

   Peru, 
  normally 
  perishable 
  material 
  is 
  remarkably 
  preserved; 
  but, 
  in 
  

   contrast 
  to 
  Peru, 
  many 
  sites, 
  at 
  least 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  Coast, 
  provide 
  

   sequences 
  back 
  into 
  early 
  preceramic 
  days. 
  The 
  explanation 
  lies 
  in 
  

   the 
  topography, 
  climate, 
  and 
  other 
  factors 
  controlling 
  the 
  native 
  life. 
  

  

  Variations 
  of 
  climate 
  provide 
  the 
  basis 
  for 
  separating 
  the 
  Coast 
  of 
  

   North 
  Chile 
  into 
  two 
  sections, 
  the 
  dividing 
  point 
  being 
  not 
  far 
  north 
  of 
  

   Taltal. 
  In 
  the 
  northern 
  portion, 
  which 
  is 
  on 
  record 
  as 
  the 
  driest 
  

   desert 
  in 
  the 
  world, 
  nonagricultural 
  people 
  were 
  almost 
  entirely 
  depend- 
  

   ent 
  on 
  the 
  sea 
  for 
  food 
  and 
  for 
  much 
  of 
  their 
  fuel, 
  especially 
  dried 
  

   kelp. 
  The 
  Coast 
  line 
  is 
  washed 
  by 
  heavy 
  seas 
  and 
  holds 
  few 
  protected 
  

   portions. 
  Sandy 
  beaches 
  are 
  rare 
  and, 
  in 
  rough 
  weather, 
  no 
  shellfish 
  

   can 
  be 
  gathered 
  on 
  them. 
  Hence, 
  the 
  preferred 
  camps 
  were 
  generally 
  

   found 
  along 
  the 
  infrequent 
  bits 
  of 
  somewhat 
  sheltered 
  rocky 
  shore, 
  

   where 
  shellfish 
  could 
  be 
  secured 
  and 
  handline 
  fishing 
  carried 
  on 
  when 
  

   heavy 
  surf 
  prevented 
  food 
  gathering 
  elsewhere. 
  Coast 
  residents 
  were 
  

   further 
  limited 
  in 
  their 
  choice 
  of 
  sites 
  by 
  the 
  scarcity 
  of 
  drinking 
  

   water, 
  which 
  is 
  found 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  few 
  narrow 
  valleys 
  carrying 
  the 
  

   drainage 
  from 
  the 
  flanks 
  of 
  the 
  Cordillera. 
  

  

  These 
  valleys 
  provided 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  water 
  and 
  a 
  limited 
  amount 
  

   of 
  wood. 
  With 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  agriculture, 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  sup- 
  

   ported 
  inland 
  populations, 
  but 
  none 
  afforded 
  large 
  areas 
  for 
  farming. 
  

   Nor 
  did 
  the 
  available 
  water 
  supply 
  permit 
  extensive 
  irrigation, 
  as 
  in 
  

   Peru. 
  Thus, 
  we 
  find 
  that 
  sea 
  food 
  was 
  of 
  continued 
  importance 
  up 
  

  

  587 
  

  

  