Environment, Human Settlement, and Agriculture in the Puna de Jujuy, Argentina: A Case Study of Land-Use Change

Abstract

The Argentinian puna, situated at the extreme south of the Andean plateau (Figure 1), has the characteristics of a cold semi-desert, which barely support a subsistence economy. Nevertheless, this region has a relatively dense population, probably dating back to times before the European conquest. Pastoralism seems to have been the basic economy both before and after the conquest, although it has been sporadically complemented by agriculture. The arrival of the Spaniards changed not only the traditional values of the local culture but also the patterns of human settlements and the means of subsistence. After the conquest, the puna became an important pathway for communication between the Viceroyship of Peru and the Rio de la Plata. With the establishment of the Rio de la Plata as the centre of national organization in Argentina, the puna became increasingly peripheral to political and economic concerns. Lack of interest in occupying these lands by people from lower altitudes has favoured ethnic continuity and the survival of many features of the old cultural substratum. The objectives of this paper are: 1. to describe the characteristics of prehispanic and present-day settlements, within the framework of environmental conditions in the Guayatayoc Basin, and to interpret the differences found in the pattern of settlements, location, and some aspects of economy 2. to give suggestions concerning the improvement of agriculture and animal production in the Guayatayoc Basin and in the puna in general. This paper is based on data derived from the central region of the Puna de Jujuy, which is known as the