INVESTIGADORES
CORTEGOSO Valeria
artículos
Título:
The bow and arrow in South America
Autor/es:
MARSH, E.; LLANO, C,; CORTEGOSO, V. ; CASTRO, S.; YEBRA, L.
Revista:
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology
Editorial:
Elsevier
Referencias:
Año: 2023
ISSN:
0278-4165
Resumen:
The bow and arrow is a crucial component of Homo sapiens material culture. In South America, data on the bow and arrow are widely scattered, which motived this comprehensive compilation of archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic information. For millennia prior to the bows 昀椀rst appearance, hunters relied on the spearthrower.In the Andes around 1650 BCE (3600 BP), knappers began making much smaller projectile points, but it is unclear whether they were for bows. Later, evidence for bow use is strong and widespread: very small lithic points (~1 cm wide), preserved bows and arrows, and iconography. This evidence is concentrated in two spans: 1) the Middle Horizon (AD 6001000 or 1350950 BP) and 2) the Late Intermediate, Inca, and early Colonial Periods, when continental trends in demography and con昀氀ict peaked (CE 12001620 or 750330 BP). Ethnographers have documented bow-using groups in all ecoregions around the continent. They have shown that the bow is deeply integrated into masculine identities. Finally, the interplay of this information informs a critical review of current issues. We identify promising avenues for future research, for example, how to improve metriccomparisons and whether the bows prevalence derives from continental-scale cultural transmission or independent invention.