﻿Vol. 
  2] 
  THE 
  ATACAMENO 
  BENNETT 
  607 
  

  

  were 
  also 
  important 
  for 
  transportation. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  characteristic 
  

   Atacameno 
  artifacts 
  is 
  a 
  wooden 
  toggle, 
  of 
  V-shape, 
  with 
  knobs 
  at 
  each 
  

   end, 
  which 
  served 
  as 
  a 
  cinch 
  buckle 
  for 
  fastening 
  the 
  packs 
  on 
  the 
  

   llamas. 
  Wooden 
  cowbells 
  with 
  wooden 
  clappers 
  are 
  also 
  common 
  

   and 
  were 
  probably 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  lead 
  llama 
  in 
  a 
  train. 
  Dogs 
  were 
  the 
  

   only 
  other 
  domesticated 
  animals, 
  but 
  these 
  were 
  considered 
  of 
  suffi- 
  

   cient 
  importance 
  to 
  be 
  mummified 
  and 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  graves. 
  

  

  Hunting 
  and 
  fishing. 
  — 
  Hunting 
  and 
  fishing 
  were 
  of 
  major 
  impor- 
  

   tance 
  along 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Coast, 
  where 
  fish 
  and 
  sea 
  mammals 
  are 
  abun- 
  

   dant. 
  Typical 
  fishing 
  gear 
  includes 
  the 
  harpoon, 
  thorn 
  hooks, 
  and 
  

   sinkers, 
  long 
  in 
  use 
  by 
  the 
  Coastal 
  peoples. 
  In 
  the 
  interior, 
  some 
  

   rare 
  wild 
  guanacos 
  and 
  vicunas 
  were 
  hunted, 
  and 
  birds 
  of 
  many 
  kinds 
  

   were 
  abundant. 
  The 
  bow 
  and 
  arrow 
  and 
  the 
  sling 
  were 
  the 
  principal 
  

   weapons. 
  Some 
  authorities 
  add 
  the 
  bolas 
  as 
  well, 
  but 
  the 
  distribu- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  this 
  weapon 
  throughout 
  the 
  Atacameno 
  region 
  is 
  yet 
  to 
  be 
  

   demonstrated. 
  Collecting 
  of 
  shellfish 
  of 
  various 
  kinds 
  was 
  important 
  

   along 
  the 
  Coast, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  interior 
  the 
  leading 
  wild-plant 
  foods 
  were 
  

   the 
  chafiar 
  fruit 
  and 
  the 
  algarrobo 
  beans, 
  from 
  which 
  meal 
  and 
  a 
  

   mildly 
  intoxicating 
  beer 
  were 
  made. 
  

  

  Food 
  preservation. 
  — 
  These 
  subsistence 
  activities 
  yielded 
  a 
  reason- 
  

   able 
  food 
  supply 
  for 
  the 
  small 
  communities. 
  However, 
  the 
  threat 
  of 
  

   a 
  calamity 
  made 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  food 
  especially 
  vital. 
  Special 
  

   granaries 
  were 
  built 
  in 
  caves 
  and 
  in 
  corners 
  of 
  the 
  houses. 
  Fish 
  and 
  

   meat 
  were 
  also 
  dried, 
  and 
  preserved 
  in 
  these 
  storage 
  bins. 
  

  

  TRADE 
  

  

  Owing 
  to 
  the 
  limitations 
  of 
  the 
  environment, 
  the 
  Atacameflo 
  were 
  

   dependent 
  on 
  outside 
  sources 
  for 
  many 
  materials. 
  There 
  is 
  consider- 
  

   able 
  evidence 
  of 
  widespread 
  trade, 
  both 
  within 
  the 
  area 
  and 
  outside, 
  

   and 
  the 
  Atacameno 
  are 
  frequently 
  referred 
  to 
  as 
  the 
  "middlemen" 
  of 
  

   the 
  Andes. 
  Trade 
  was 
  probably 
  carried 
  on 
  largely 
  in 
  connection 
  

   with 
  llama 
  herding; 
  at 
  least, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  basis 
  for 
  suggesting 
  the 
  exist- 
  

   ence 
  of 
  professional 
  trading 
  groups. 
  In 
  some 
  places 
  roadways 
  as 
  

   much 
  as 
  10 
  feet 
  (3 
  m.) 
  in 
  width 
  are 
  marekd 
  out, 
  although 
  not 
  paved. 
  

   Aside 
  from 
  the 
  llamas, 
  goods 
  were 
  carried 
  in 
  hampers 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  by 
  

   means 
  of 
  a 
  forehead 
  tumpline. 
  

  

  Within 
  the 
  area, 
  especially 
  between 
  the 
  Coast 
  and 
  the 
  interior, 
  

   trade 
  was 
  active. 
  As 
  evidence, 
  quinoa 
  seeds 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  

   Coast 
  graves; 
  dried 
  fish 
  in 
  the 
  interior. 
  At 
  La 
  Paya 
  in 
  Northwest 
  

   Argentina, 
  marine 
  shells 
  from 
  the 
  Pacific 
  are 
  commonly 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  

   graves. 
  Other 
  common 
  trade 
  articles 
  were 
  tobacco, 
  chili 
  pepper, 
  

   llama 
  wool, 
  and 
  salt. 
  Trade 
  objects 
  from 
  outside 
  the 
  Atacameno 
  

   area 
  are 
  equally 
  numerous, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  more 
  elaborate 
  metal 
  artifacts, 
  

   which 
  were 
  probably 
  manufactured 
  by 
  the 
  Diaguita. 
  

  

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