Archaeological research on the late Prehispanic societies of the north-central coast of Peru (from the Chao Valley to the Huarmey Valley), now identified as Casma, reveals an outstanding cultural and political dynamism. Despite this, their role in the current debate on the Andean cultural processes is not very significant. This study focuses on the Casma vessels representing the monkey, an animal from the South American rainy lowlands not found in the north-central Peruvian coast. Primates were part of the iconography of Chimú and Lambayeque traditions (AD 900-1450), which developed to the north of the Casma area. However, the meaning of monkeys in the Casma ideology and visual culture is less known. This research examines the concepts of hierarchy and submission, in addition to otherness and celebration, recognizable in the Casma representations of primates. The results integrate a north-central coast perspective into the debate of two interlocked topics: the relationships between indigenous societies of America and the natural world, and the long-distance networks of traffic that articulated the Andean coast with the South American Neotropical forest.

National and international guidelines governing museums during the last decades emphasize the praise of cultural diversity, the educational mission of these institutions, and their contribution to generating new mentalities. Furthermore, within a neolibe- ral context, museums aim to become more attractive to the public. Accordingly, two of the most important museums in Colombia have undertaken a considerable transformation of their narratives with regard to archaeological objects. The aim of this article is to carry out a qualitative analysis of these narratives, as well as of the museographic measures and the curatorial decisions that concurred. The results of this research show that these museums have given greater emphasis to topics such as shamanism, myths, beliefs, or spiritualities of prehispanic societies, which relate to a concept of cultural diversity that may enrich and transform the mentality of people. It is concluded that the analyzed narratives, far from promoting the understanding of and learning from cultural differences, reproduce a hegemonic cultural logic that fosters individualization, cultural consumption, and accumulation of information and experiences in accordance with the ideal of personal progress.

Raised agricultural fields in the delta of the Paicaví River in the Araucanía region of south-central Chile are described and considered preliminarily in terms of their social and economic implications for the Early Colonial Period. Archival material of the 16th-17th centuries suggests that this area, which was part of the Tucapel province of the Araucanian Estado, possibly supported the warriors from Purén- who more fiercely resisted the Spanish--by providing large quantities of food. The archaeological record of the raised fields in the area hypothetically supports this role, at least during times of warfare between the Spanish and Mapuche.

The coastal hunter gatherers of the southern coastal archipelagos who were transferred to Chiloé during the 17th and 18th centuries played a connecting role between these two worlds as they were familiar with the geography of an environment that could not be dominated by the Spaniards and the Veliche of Chiloé. They became forced facilitators of the activities of these groups in the Chonos archipelago, undertaking tasks as translators, guides, divers, watchers, and seekers of other indigenous groups. The canoeists transferred to the islands of Cailin and Chaulinec with civilizing purposes from 1743 onwards did not completely abandon their territory, not only returning to their islands on a permanent basis to practice ancestral activities (fishing, shellfish gathering, consumption of sea lion meat) but also bringing new occupations from Chiloé, such as agriculture and livestock breeding, which were developed for purposes of exchange with the inhabitants of Chiloé rather than for mere subsistence. As a result, these people developed subsistence strategies based on elements present in their culture, such as the exploitation of exogenous materials of cultural origin (shipwrecks remains) as exchangeable items; the adaptation of techniques and technologies for food preparation and conservation; the use of new ecological niches other than the strictly coastal inlets or the usual islands, such as islands with pastures for the free breeding of European cattle, among other practices that account for an active attitude towards the new world that was being imposed on them.