Coast and hinterland: territory and resource management by the Selknam from Tierra del Fuego (Argentina)

MANSUR MARÍA ESTELA Y PIQUÉ RAQUEL

Dakar (Senegal)

Congreso; Congreso Internacional Shell Energy. Prehistoric coastal resource strategies; 2008

Musée Théodore Monod, IUSPP y Wenner Gren Foundation

According to ethnographic and archeological research, the Selknam of the central part of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) managed their territory, exploiting littoral, inland forest and steppes complementary way. During historic times, as mentioned by ethnographer Martin Gusinde, the Selknam land was divided into small territories (haruwen), and most of them had access to littoral and hinterland resources. Movements inside the haruwen allowed access to different resources during the year. Archaeological investigations in the centre of the island show the presence of resources from the Atlantic coast, such as shells and eroded glass appearing 12 km inland. On the other hand, on the Atlantic coast, evidence of shell consumption is frequent. In this paper we will discuss strategies of territorial management of the Selknam hunter-gatherers.