APPROXIMATION TO INDIGENOUS FISHING IN THE LOWLANDS OF THE MERÍN LAGOON: THE ETHNOHISTORIC DOCUMENTATION OF THE 16TH-18TH CENTURIES

Abstract

The lowlands of the Merín lagoon have been the subject of renewed archaeological interest in recent decades in Uruguay. Various approaches in the southern sector of the basin have placed the archaeological Hills-Cerritos de Indios, hills of Indigenous- (~ 5000-250 years 14C BP) within the framework of a set of problems that seek to overcome traditional models that associate lowlands with marginal cultural areas. In this light, the study of archaeological fauna has generated interpretive models that place specialized hunting as the main activity of Indigenous groups in the region. New data on ichthyofauna assemblages suggest a relevant role of these animals among the builders of hills and open new questions about the regional archaeological record. This study aims to provide a new line of evidence to this problem based on ethnohistorical information for the region. To that end, a review of ethnohistoric sources was carried out, where information on the relationship between indigenous groups and fish, from the first contact with Europeans in the 16th century to the 18th century, is provided. The obtained results contribute to the regional archaeological record in terms of long-term indigenous history.