﻿664 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  to 
  the 
  west 
  and 
  the 
  low-lying 
  country 
  of 
  eastern 
  Salta. 
  The 
  Can- 
  

   delaria 
  River 
  is 
  the 
  central 
  watercourse 
  of 
  the 
  Department, 
  and 
  the 
  

   drainage 
  is 
  enclosed 
  between 
  the 
  Sierra 
  de 
  Medina, 
  an 
  Andean 
  outpost 
  

   to 
  the 
  east, 
  and 
  the 
  main 
  Andean 
  block 
  to 
  the 
  west. 
  The 
  terrain, 
  

   while 
  not 
  mountainous, 
  is 
  broken 
  and 
  hilly. 
  Rainfall 
  is 
  markedly 
  

   seasonal, 
  being 
  heavy 
  in 
  the 
  summers. 
  At 
  this 
  time 
  the 
  runoff 
  cuts 
  

   deep 
  barrancas 
  along 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  stream 
  beds, 
  and 
  general 
  surface 
  

   erosion 
  of 
  the 
  slopes 
  is 
  great. 
  

  

  The 
  flora 
  and 
  fauna 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  low 
  country 
  rather 
  

   than 
  the 
  Highland. 
  Algorroba 
  trees, 
  various 
  types 
  of 
  quebracho, 
  and 
  

   several 
  species 
  of 
  cactus 
  with 
  edible 
  fruits 
  are 
  among 
  the 
  important 
  

   plants. 
  The 
  guanaco 
  and 
  the 
  rhea 
  were 
  the 
  largest 
  game 
  animals 
  of 
  

   the 
  region. 
  

  

  CULTURE 
  

  

  NATURE 
  OF 
  SITES 
  

  

  Sites 
  are 
  exceedingly 
  numerous 
  in 
  La 
  Candelaria, 
  and 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  

   all 
  types 
  of 
  terrain 
  in 
  the 
  valley. 
  More 
  sites 
  have 
  been 
  located 
  on 
  

   the 
  tops 
  or 
  slopes 
  of 
  high 
  ground, 
  but 
  this 
  may 
  be 
  attributable 
  to 
  the 
  

   fact 
  that 
  the 
  river 
  bottoms 
  are 
  both 
  heavily 
  silted 
  and 
  seasonally 
  cut 
  

   and 
  washed 
  away. 
  The 
  hilltop 
  and 
  slope 
  sites 
  all 
  show 
  advanced 
  ero- 
  

   sion, 
  and 
  the 
  bottomland 
  sites 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  located 
  have 
  been 
  

   buried 
  under 
  deep 
  layers 
  of 
  alluvium. 
  

  

  Surface 
  evidences 
  of 
  La 
  Candelaria 
  sites 
  include 
  potsherds, 
  mortar 
  

   and 
  grinding 
  stones, 
  burial 
  urns 
  partially 
  washed 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  

   scanty 
  structural 
  features. 
  

  

  POPULATION 
  AND 
  SUBSISTENCE 
  

  

  The 
  archeological 
  uniformity 
  of 
  the 
  La 
  Candelaria 
  sites 
  indicates 
  

   a 
  single 
  cultural 
  period 
  for 
  all 
  the 
  sites 
  yet 
  mvestigated 
  in 
  the 
  valley. 
  

   Either 
  this 
  period 
  was 
  very 
  long 
  and 
  stylistic 
  changes 
  were 
  slow 
  or 
  the 
  

   La 
  Candelaria 
  drainage 
  supported 
  a 
  large 
  population 
  for 
  a 
  brief 
  time. 
  

  

  The 
  abundance 
  of 
  grinding 
  stones 
  and 
  mortars 
  in 
  the 
  sites 
  and 
  a 
  

   pottery 
  surface 
  decoration 
  which 
  consists 
  of 
  corncob 
  markings 
  on 
  the 
  

   unfired 
  clay 
  vessel 
  indirectly 
  attest 
  to 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  maize 
  and 
  its 
  

   use 
  as 
  a 
  food. 
  General 
  similarities 
  between 
  La 
  Candelaria 
  culture 
  

   and 
  the 
  adjacent 
  Diaguita 
  make 
  it 
  likely 
  that 
  other 
  elements 
  of 
  the 
  

   Andean 
  agricultural 
  pattern 
  were 
  transmitted 
  from 
  the 
  Diaguita 
  to 
  

   the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  La 
  Candelaria. 
  

  

  DWELLINGS 
  

  

  At 
  two 
  sites 
  in 
  La 
  Candelaria, 
  Ryden 
  (1936) 
  found 
  series 
  of 
  stone 
  

   slabs 
  set 
  in 
  the 
  earth 
  in 
  alignments 
  suggesting 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  either 
  

   the 
  lower 
  foundation 
  walls 
  of 
  houses 
  or 
  retaining 
  walls 
  built 
  to 
  keep 
  a 
  

   small 
  level 
  area 
  of 
  earth 
  on 
  a 
  slope 
  from 
  washing 
  away. 
  With 
  refer- 
  

  

  