Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tlers probably reached the southern tip of
South America by 9,000 B.C. Cave sites near
the Straits of Magellan corroborate this theory.
Development throughout the country was
uneven, with certain groups remaining as
hunters and gatherers until the arrival of the
Spanish, and others progressing to advanced
agricultural techniques and culture. However,
nowhere in Argentina was there a unified and
advanced culture like those of the Maya, Aztec
or Inca.
The northwest section of what is now Argentina
was the most developed because of its proximity
to the culturally advanced centers of Bolivia
and Peru. Around 1480 A.D. the Inca armies
invaded and actually incorporated the area into
their vast empire. Here, natives lived in simple
stone houses in towns that sometimes reached
3,000 in size. Many of these towns were built on
hilltops and were walled in for protection. Agri-
culture was the main source of livelihood, and
irrigation and the domestication of animals,
particularly llamas, were practiced widely.
Ceramics, wood carvings, large stone sculp-
tures and high quality metal tools, especially of
copper and bronze, have all been found in this
region.
Remains of Inca
roads, storage
places and
forests can still
be found in the
area.
The area around the Central Mountains and
what is today Santiago del Estero (the prov-
ince) was far less developed. Hunting and gath-
ering were the main source of food, although
some agriculture was practiced. Artifacts found
