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Condor Huasi Culture, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, province of Catamarca
The archaeological cultures discovered in the Province of Catamarca, in the Northwest of Argentina, cover different periods.
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Cienaga culture's ceramic bowl. Ethnographic Museum.
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During the period that goes from 3,200 B.C. to the year 0 of the Christian era, man lives out of hunting, fishing and collecting fruits from which he obtains not only food, but also liquid to prepare drinks. This is the agricultural-pottery stage.
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Anthropomorphic ceramic of the Condorhuasi culture. Foreign Affairs Colection.
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Testimonies of the Condorhuasi culture -200 B.C. to 300 A.C.- appear in the village of Hualfin, Belen Department, were it was centred. Its influence spread around a very important area. The Cienaga culture also appears in these years. Its centre is the White Lagoon and La Cienaga.
The main characteristics of the Condorhuasi culture are its pottery –developed because of the need they had of it– and the sculptures in stone combining human and animal images related to the religious symbolism that has permanently a dual sense.
The features make us suspect of an influence of the Mallo (Chile), Tiahuanaco (Peru) and East Bolivian zones cultures.
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One of the pieces preserved by museum Photo: Ivan Grondona
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The pieces that can be found in “Adan Quiroga’s” Archaeological Museum, as well as those exhibited in La Plata’s Museum and abroad -in the United States of America, France, Italy and Germany- were rescued by priest Salvador Narvaez as from 1935. There are still important archaeological beds that have not been explored yet.
The different display cabinets of “Adan Quiroga’s” Archaeological Museum exhibit examples of each of the main characteristics of the Condorhuasi culture: Negative Condor Huasi, Red on Cream Condor Huasi, Reducing Condor Huasi and Rio Diablo (Devil River) phase Condor Huasi; symbolizing naturalist subjects, species of pumpkins or geometrical drawings such as angles, laced rhombuses, etc.
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Almost all ceramics were for ritual uses
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One of them exemplifies the tricolour Condorhuasi culture that flourishes before the year 0 of the Christian era; and is one of the most important ones from an aesthetic point of view.
There are some classified characteristic figures, such as the ones denominated Screams (Gritos). These are all ceramics for ritual use. Some of them represent the puma and the jaguar, and others a woman symbolising fertility.
Many of the rituals from Catamarca not only employ the human figure, but also animals and the Earth.
About this article...
Author of the article: Grondona Olmi, Verónica
Sources employed:
- "El País que no Miramos" ("The Country we have not Seen"), a series of documentaries for television produced by Ivan Grondona. Archivo General de la Nación ("Argentina's National Archive").
Translated by: Veronica Grondona
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