La extracción prehispánica de recursos minerales en el internodo quillagua-costa, desierto de Atacama

Internodal archaeological evidence of extractive occupations is presented in this study. Evidence comes from the survey and analyses of sites on the prehistoric route between Quillagua (inferior Loa River) and the north Coast of Tocopilla, across the Coastal mountain range of the Atacama Desert. This archaeological record is discussed in relation to previouslyknown prehistoric data about settlements and internodal trails of the Coast, and Inferior and middle Loa sections. We characterize two extractive sites of mineral resources detected in association to pathways, a mine and a lithic workshop. Data from excavations, analyses of archaeological materials and absolute dates are used to discuss mobility of coastal groups to the interior of the desert and of Oasis's societies to the coast in different periods of time. Previously formulated models of mobility and provisioning, as well as regional archaeological and ethnographic data, are used to discuss the presented results, and are applied to examine more general aspects of "Internodal Studies".