History
The earliest records for human presence in territory that is now Argentina can be dated back 12,000 years, and at least 11,800 years ago the first nomadic groups reached as far as Tierra del Fuego. Over the millennia that preceded the arrival of Europeans, widely varying cultures developed. Some of these, such as those of the Pampas, the Patagonian plateau and the Chaco floodplains, were dependent on nomadic, terrestrial hunter-gathering. From at least 6000 years ago, distinct nomadic cultures like that of the Yamana emerged in the channels of the Fuegian archipelago, where canoe technology allowed the adoption of a marine-based life. Other groups, such as the Guarani peoples of the subtropical northeast, evolved semi-nomadic lifestyles dependent on hunter-gathering and shifting, slash-and-burn agriculture, whereby they cultivated maize, manioc, beans and sweet potatoes while also producing cotton for textiles. The most complex cultures emerged, how ever, in the Andean northwest , where sedentary agricultural practices developed from about 500 BC. Irrigation permitted the intensive cultivation of staple crops like maize, quinoa, squash and potatoes and this, combined with the domestication of animals like the llama, facilitated the growth of rich material cultures, as attested to by the archeological record. The most important early sedentary culture is the Tafi one of the Tucuman region, whose people sculpted intriguing stone menhirs incised with geometric designs, feline shapes and human faces. This initial period saw the later development of Catamarca's Condorhuasi culture, renowned for its distinctive and beautifully patterned ceramics. From about 600 AD, metallurgical technologies developed, which saw the use of bronze for items as elaborate as ceremonial axes and chest-plates, as best witnessed in the Aguada civilization, whose territory also centred on Catamarca. From about 850 AD, the increasing organization of Andean groups is demonstrated by the appearance of fortified urban settlements, which, though relatively humble by the standards of the great civilizations further north, were nevertheless built in stone and had populations of up to a few thousand. Three important Diaguita cultures emerge: Sanagasta; Belen; and Santa Maria , whose overlapping zones of influence stretched from Salta through to San Juan, and which are notable for their elaborately painted ceramics, anthropomorphic funeral urns, superb metalwork, and the use of agricultural terracing. Further north, separate cultures develop in the Humahuaca region of Jujuy, including those of Tilcara and El Alfarcito, both of which have evidence of a marked use of hallucinogenic substances. These Andean cultures engaged in trade with their counterparts on the Pacific side of the Andes and north into what is now Bolivia. Trade networks were vastly increased once the area came under the sway of pan-Andean empires: first that of Bolivia's great city, Tiahuanaco , which probably influenced Condorhuasi culture; and, from 1480, that of the Incas , who incorporated the area into Kollasuyo, their southernmost administrative region. Incredibly well-preserved finds, such as recent excavation of three ritually sacrificed mummies at the summit of 6739-metre Cerro Llulliallaco - the world's highest archeological discovery - are helping to reveal the extent of this influence in terms of customs, religion and dress. In the early sixteenth century, before the arrival of Europeans, Argentina's indigenous population was probably in the region of 400,000, an estimated two-thirds of whom lived in the northwest - Andean groups such as the Diaguitas, the Omaguacas of Jujuy's Humahuaca Valley, the Atacamenos of the far northwestern puna, and the Tonocotes of Santiago del Estero. Other relatively densely settled areas included the central sierras of Cordoba and San Luis, where the Comechingones and the Sanavirones lived. The Cuyo region was home to semi-sedentary Huarpes; while to the south and east of them lived various Tehuelche tribes, often referred to generically by the Spanish as Pampas Indians or, further south, Patagones. Tierra del Fuego was inhabited by Selk'nam and Mannekenk, as well as the Yamana sea-goers. The Chaco region was home to a bewildering variety of shifting nomadic groups, including Chiriguanos, the Lule-Vilela, Wichi, and groups of the Guaycuru nation, like the Abipone and Qom. The northeastern areas of El Litoral and Mesopotamia were inhabited by the Kaingang, the Charrua and Guarani groups. The first group to encounter the Spanish were probably the nomadic Querandi of the Pampas region - the northernmost group of the wider Tehuelche culture. They lived in temporary shelters and hunted guanaco and rhea with bolas ( boleadores ): weighted thongs used to bring down their prey. Though they put up determined resistance to the Spanish for several decades, their culture was eliminated during the subsequent colonial period - a fate that was to be shared by many others.
your food is yummyisabella says "i think yalls food is super dooper yummy keep up the good work
" whatsamanth says "nothing. you can survive on your own. dont go there its a horrible place." what you needkatie says "bring lots of food and water. try to bring non perishable food. and bring warm and cold clothes. you will need it." Buenos Aires City of DesignBob Frassinetti says "In August 2005 Buenos Aires was appointed City of Design by the UNESCO. This is recognition the city of “good airs” shares with other top notch design areas of the world such as Berlin, Montreal.
This appointment evidences recognition towards what Buenos Aires is doing in this particular area, and it cannot be understood if not put in perspective to the recent boom that took place in this area recently. BA features a constant flow of movement in terms of design, from mind-blowing creations to average regular, items the broadness of the design movement in the Argentine capital provides a wide rainbow of options featuring something for every taste.
Buenos Aires has been among the firsts of the American Continent to take upon the challenge of design together with Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Mendoza in Argentina –as well-. The turning point in contemporary design in South America can be dated at the end of the 1950s and all throughout the 60s. The decade of 1960 was a strong decade for innovation, creation and design in the deepest sense of the words. The Arts in general had a strong input back then, and design was not an exception, from aesthetics to usefulness, Argentina has been taking upon the challenge of designing new and innovative objects ever since. After a couple of decades of ups and downs, ins and outs, always in tune with the general panorama of what was going on in our country, today, Buenos Aires is breeding and furthering some interesting aesthetic and conceptual approaches to objects.
In terms of industrial design today in Argentina, there are at several different disciplines working in an avant-garde creations and innovating in theory and practice in this sense. The range goes from industrial products to vehicles, furniture and lighting, making of Buenos Aires a design spot pretty much hyper-comprehensive in terms of design for the visitors.
An interesting insight on design in Buenos Aires is provided by worldly known Argentine architect and designer Ricardo Blanco in his book entitled Crónicas del diseño industrial en la Argentina – Chronicles of the Industrial Design in Argentina-, where he reconstructs the path of evolution thru means of a particular historical perspective and journey. Not aiming to cover the entire historical process, but more in the sense of providing an organized insight into the world of useful aesthetics, Blanco attest to evidence the intention and cultural bases of the Argentine design path.
Thru means of the current literature and the ever growing production of industrial design objects Buenos Aires takes upon new airs of discovery, as it mutates from the traditional city of beef and tango to a much more interesting and amusing spot of arts, design and aesthetics… And all in all, in the meantime we explore the new inputs of design we can always stop to enjoy the delightful Argentine cuisine and culture, but now in a broader and richer way.
Bob Frassinetti, Buenos Aires, Argentina" GanjaFaith says "look for ganja at all times"
Your Tip for Argentina
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Argentina - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Argentina - visit the main Argentina forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Argentina webguide section below! Thanks.
|