Looking at Interethnic Relations in the Southern Border through Glass Remanis: The Nineteenth-Century Pampa region, Argentina

PEDROTTA, VICTORIA; BAGALONI, VANESA

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

Springer Netherlands

Lugar: Illinois; Año: 2005 vol. 9 p. 177 - 193

1092-7697

Arroyo Nieves 2 is an open-air site located in a ravine of a small stream in the Pampa region. Its stratigraphy and archaeological remains assigned it to an indigenous occupation dated in the third quarter of the 19th century. At the time, some indigenous groups were settled in strategic borderline areas by the government, on the basis of reciprocal rights and duties. Basically, food and others supplies were given to the Indians in order to avoid cattle and women raids, keeping the peace. The findings at Arroyo Nieves 2 include bones -from both domestic and wild species-, lithic instruments and debris, fragments of stoneware bottles, refined earthenware sherds, buttons, small pieces of metal and numerous glass remains from wine, beer, bitter and gin bottles, flasks, glasses and food containers. The aim of this paper is to present the study of the glass remains recovered, which has proved to be an excellent evidence of a wide range of themes, such as chronology, trade networks and activities, consumption behaviors and discard patterns.  During the 19th century, there was an outstanding improvement in the technical and industrial production processes in the European countries, as well as a world-wide trade integration characterized  by the growing of the international labor division. This trend was reflected in the increase of the general amount of imported objects into the Río de la Plata, as well as in the diversification of their varieties and qualities, mainly beverages, food and private usage items, that appeared in the records of pulperías and rural stores in the second half of the 19th century. The glass remains of the Arroyo Nieves 2 site is certainly reflecting this access to beverages, edibles and perfumery items from France, England and Holland, all massively imported during the 19th century. Thus, they reveal the integration of the Catrieleros into the regional and international trade networks. Such integration may be materially facilitated by: 1) the sale of goods acquired and/or produced by the tolderías, such as feather, leathers, hide wares and textiles; 2) the access to money, acquired by the salaries and by the sale of the mentioned staff; and 3) the role of the mediators played by the “friendly Indians”, strategically settled in the border, in between the Hispanic-Creole tradesmen and other indigenous groups settled in more distant territories.