L’art [rupestre] de la chasse aux mammifères marins dans le désert d’Atacama, au nord du Chili

Abstract

This article is a synthesis of research on the rock art of El Médano with particular emphasis on the identification of marine animals, as well as the technologies and strategies for hunting with rafts and harpoons, represented in the paintings. The information from the rock art is complemented by bone and hide remains of marine mammals recovered from archaeological sites in the region from similar periods to those of the rock art. The aim is to understand the relationship between humans and marine mammals in the pre-Columbian past of the Atacama Desert coast.

Keywords

• rock art
• hunting
• harpoon
• navigation
• representation
• Atacama