Geological and Geographic Resources among Hunter-gatherers of Tierra del Fuego (Southernmost South America): a View from Archaeological and Ethnographic Data

BORRAZZO KAREN; VAZQUEZ MARTIN

Geological Resources of Tierra del Fuego

Springer

Año: 2021; p. 219 - 243

This chapter deals with geological resources in a distinctive manner: itexplores their use as raw materials and geographic markers within hunter-gatherersocieties that occupied the Fuegian Archipelago since the end of the Pleistoceneuntil historical times. Here we summarize archaeological and ethnographic data thatallow us to identify past human decision-making, particularly some of the specificreasons for the choices that Fuegian peoplemade about rocks and landscape features,as well as the ideas related to them. The trends observed in both archaeological andethnographic data emphasize the deep knowledge that these populations had on thespatial distribution, physical properties and the potential use of minerals and rocks inthe Fuegian landscape. Ethnographic mythological narratives underscore the centralrole of geology in building Selk?nam maps of the islandscape.