Formación del Estado

La Puntilla Project aims to produce sociological research about communities dating 1400 cal BCE to 400 cal CE in the coastal desert regions of the Central Andes. The focus is the Rio Grande of the Nasca Basin, where cultural historicism has placed the “Paracas Culture” and the “Nasca Culture”, benchmarks of periodization of the entire Andean region. Our team has been carrying out fieldwork since 2005 in two sites at El Trigal (La Puntilla, Orcona, Nasca). Excavations have provided evidence about singular buildings for centralised work, communal fortifications, domestic units and burials. These contexts make possible the analysis of production of social life, and if there was a dominant class controlling production or patriarchal relations.

The main purpose of the project is to obtain and analyse archaeological information about social spaces, particularly about architectural units, urban organisation, household characteristics and extradomestic economic or political-ideological places. Research tries to review and update relevant archaeological contexts of social spaces, and define categories in settlements of the region. It is an indispensable starting point to advance the knowledge of social practices, real conditions of production and technological foundations, dynamics of emergence or crisis of the first state in the zone, and in involved networks for women and men at each temporal horizon.

Another objetive is the social use of archaeological sites in La Puntilla, and we are linked with people of the Orcona community. Self-organization and mutual support in management is the basis for designing an itinerary for visitors of the region.

The project is financed by Spanish institutions: IPCE (Exterior Archaeological Projects), MINECO (HAR2009-12625, HAR2013-44276-P) and Fundación PALARQ. Our team is composed of professors, researchers and students from Catalonia, Andalusia, Chile and, evidently, Peru.

Este artículo analiza las relaciones entre las exploraciones de Richard E. Schultes, la extracción del caucho y los procesos de formación del Estado a escala regional que tuvieron lugar en Vaupés entre 1942 y la década de 1970, cuando terminó el “segundo boom” de la industria cauchera. Buena parte de la historiografía sobre la extracción del caucho en la Amazonía colombiana se ha enfocado principalmente en el “primer boom”. A partir del estudio de los archivos personales de Schultes, publicaciones de prensa, documentos históricos y trabajo de campo realizado en Vaupés, fue posible constatar que el conocimiento producido por este científico promovió: el “resurgimiento” de la industria cauchera en Vaupés, la apropiación del caucho y el cauchero por parte del gobierno local como símbolos de progreso e identidad regional, así como el uso de la infraestructura cauchera construida por los norteamericanos como medio para expandir la soberanía del Estado-nación. Sin embargo, la mistificación y exaltación del caucho y el cauchero como emblemas regionales también ocultaron la explotación de los indígenas.
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This article analyses the relationship between Richard. E Schultes’ scientific explorations, rubber extraction, and the regional processes of state formation that took place in Vaupés, between 1942 and the 1970s, when the second rubber boom ended. Predominant historiography about rubber extraction in Amazonia has focused on the first rubber boom. Based on Schultes’ personal archive, press materials, historical documents and fieldwork carried out in Vaupés, this article shows that the knowledge Schultes produced facilitated the resurgence of the boom industry in Vaupés, along with other processes. Among these are the local government’s deployment of rubber and rubber tappers as symbols of progress and regional identity, as well as the use of the rubber infrastructure built by north American entrepreneurs as a medium for expanding the sovereignty of the nation-state. Furthermore, this article describes how the mystification and exaltation of rubber and rubber tappers as regional icons also concealed the exploitation of indigenous peoples.
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Este artigo faz uma análise das relações entre as explorações de Richard E. Schultes, a extração de borracha e os processos de formação do Estado em escala regional que tiveram lugar no departamento de Vaupés entre 1942 e a década de 1970, quando concluiu o “segundo boom” da indústria de borracha. Boa parte da historiografia sobre a extração de borracha na Amazônia colombiana foca principalmente no “primeiro boom”. A partir do estudo dos arquivos pessoais de Schultes, publicações de imprensa, documentos históricos e trabalho de campo feito em Vaupés, foi possível constatar que o conhecimento produzido por este científico promoveu: o “ressurgimento” da indústria de borracha em Vaupés, a apropriação da borracha e os seringueiros por parte do governo local como símbolos de progresso e identidade regional, assim como o uso da infraestrutura da borracha construída pelos norte-americanos como meio para expandir a soberania do Estado-nação. Ainda, a mistificação e exaltação da borracha e o seringueiro como emblemas regionais também ocultaram a exploração dos indígenas.