When the Past Lives in the Present. Agrarian Landscapes and Historical Social Dynamics in the Southern Andes (Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina)

Pablo Cruz, Nancy Egan, Richard Joffre, Jorge L. Cladera and Thierry Winkel
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Pablo Cruz: UE CISOR CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Jujuy 4600, Argentina
Nancy Egan: UE CISOR CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Jujuy 4600, Argentina
Richard Joffre: Centre d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, l’École Pratique des Hautes Études, l’Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Univ Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
Jorge L. Cladera: UBA–FFyL, Instituto Interdisciplinario Tilcara, Tilcara 4624, Argentina
Thierry Winkel: Centre d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, l’École Pratique des Hautes Études, l’Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Univ Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-24

Abstract: This article examines the agrarian landscape in one part of the southern Andes (Quebrada of Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina). The region possesses extensive and well-preserved archaeological remains of agricultural systems, which stretch back to pre-Hispanic times. In this study, we employ an interdisciplinary approach in our analysis of the components that structure the agrarian landscape, especially those historical processes that intervened in its formation. The creation of a cartographic base, built from remote sensing and fieldwork data, allowed for the identification of four principal components of the landscape, each of which correspond to distinct phases or periods that mark the region’s history. Our study shows that, in contrast to what is observed in many other rural areas, the successive productive dynamics that developed in the area did not result in the destruction of previous productive structures. Rather, the agrarian landscape in the study area presents a multi-temporal agglutinating combination or composition, which transcends historical discontinuities in the productive matrix. This is owing to the partial reutilisation of previous structures in each period; however, religious and cultural factors play an important role. The agrarian landscape we studied is not only a passive result of human activity, but also a force influencing the productive and lifestyle decisions of the peasant populations that live there today. Our research amplifies the understanding of agrarian landscapes in the Andes and shows how past temporalities are articulated with the present through a dialectical process.

Keywords: agrarian landscape; Andes; landscape mapping; pre-Hispanic agriculture; Spanish colonial period; peasant dynamics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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