﻿THE 
  CULTUEES 
  OF 
  THE 
  PUNA 
  AND 
  THE 
  QUEBRADA 
  

   OF 
  HUMAHUACA 
  

  

  By 
  Eduardo 
  Casanova 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION 
  

  

  The 
  extreme 
  northwestern 
  part 
  of 
  Argentina 
  is 
  a 
  mountainous 
  

   region 
  comprising 
  two 
  distinct 
  zones, 
  the 
  Puna 
  and 
  the 
  Quebrada 
  

   (map 
  I, 
  No. 
  9). 
  The 
  first, 
  known 
  by 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  Puna 
  de 
  Atacama 
  

   and 
  Puna 
  de 
  Jujuy, 
  is 
  a 
  high 
  plateau 
  or 
  altiplano, 
  with 
  an 
  elevation 
  

   of 
  about 
  11,300 
  to 
  12,000 
  feet 
  (3,500 
  to 
  3,800 
  m.). 
  The 
  surrounding 
  

   mountain 
  ranges 
  make 
  this 
  altiplano 
  a 
  closed 
  basin 
  traversed 
  by 
  small 
  

   rivers 
  that 
  empty 
  into 
  the 
  salt 
  marshes, 
  which 
  are 
  full 
  of 
  water 
  only 
  

   in 
  the 
  summer. 
  The 
  climate 
  is 
  continental 
  and 
  very 
  dry, 
  as 
  only 
  

   scarce 
  rains 
  fall 
  except 
  in 
  January 
  and 
  February. 
  Vegetation 
  here 
  

   is 
  poor, 
  and 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  species 
  of 
  fauna 
  are 
  the 
  llama, 
  vicuna, 
  

   and 
  guanaco. 
  East 
  of 
  the 
  Puna 
  is 
  the 
  Quebrada 
  de 
  Humahuaca, 
  a 
  

   narrow 
  valley 
  170 
  km. 
  (about 
  100 
  mi.) 
  wide, 
  which 
  slopes 
  sharply 
  

   from 
  north 
  to 
  south, 
  its 
  upper 
  end 
  reaching 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  almost 
  

   13,000 
  feet 
  (4,000 
  m.), 
  while 
  at 
  the 
  lower 
  end, 
  near 
  the 
  city 
  of 
  Jujuy, 
  

   its 
  elevation 
  is 
  only 
  about 
  4,000 
  feet 
  (1,200 
  m.). 
  The 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  

   flows 
  through 
  this 
  valley, 
  giving 
  it 
  life 
  with 
  its 
  waters. 
  The 
  climate 
  

   varies 
  with 
  the 
  altitude, 
  being 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Puna 
  in 
  the 
  north, 
  and 
  

   subtropical 
  in 
  the 
  south. 
  For 
  this 
  reason, 
  vegetation 
  in 
  the 
  neighbor- 
  

   hood 
  of 
  Jujuy 
  is 
  luxuriant, 
  but 
  poorer 
  upstream, 
  where 
  xerophytic 
  

   plants 
  (cardones 
  and 
  pencas) 
  thrive. 
  The 
  latter 
  tend 
  to 
  grow 
  sparsely 
  

   in 
  the 
  higher 
  altitudes. 
  

  

  The 
  entire 
  area 
  in 
  pre-Hispanic 
  times 
  was 
  rather 
  well 
  populated 
  by 
  

   native 
  tribes 
  of 
  various 
  names. 
  On 
  the 
  Puna 
  lived 
  the 
  Casavindo, 
  

   Cochinoca, 
  and 
  others, 
  called 
  collectively 
  the 
  Puneno, 
  1 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   Quebrada, 
  the 
  Fiscara, 
  Purumamarca, 
  Jujuy, 
  etc., 
  these 
  being 
  included 
  

   in 
  the 
  group 
  called 
  the 
  Omaguaca 
  or 
  Humahuaca 
  (map 
  5). 
  Informa- 
  

   tion 
  derived 
  from 
  historical 
  documents 
  and 
  particularly 
  from 
  arche- 
  

   ological 
  discoveries 
  has 
  made 
  it 
  possible 
  to 
  reconstruct 
  in 
  part 
  the 
  

   culture 
  of 
  these 
  peoples. 
  

  

  See 
  Bennett 
  on 
  the 
  Atacameno, 
  this 
  volume, 
  p. 
  599. 
  

  

  619 
  

  

  