The Diaguita Research Paper

The Diaguita
It’s possible that you may have not heard of the ancient indigenous South American tribes under the Spanish - given name ‘Diaguita’ (Dy-a-gWeta) meaning ‘village inhabitant.’This culture was actually composed of about twenty tribes, each with their own language, but categorized as the
Western/Chilean Diaguita in the Atacama, and the Eastern/Argentine Diaguita in northwestern
Argentina. Though little is known of them, what knowledge is available mostly originates from artifacts and written information by explorers, priests and Jesuits who stumbled upon these tribes. It is believed that in ancient times, they could build villages supporting three thousand people. These villages were complete with silos and water reservoirs. Also,

The Calchaquí
(cal-kAy-key) tribe were most widely known for their sophistication in technology, construction, ceramics, irrigation, and agricultural skills. Their name is first recorded by the Jesuit Aguirre in
1556, and could be translated as ‘bad tempered’, or possibly refer to the collecting of the lush vegetation of the region. They were experts at creating breast shields, bronze tools, and intricate metal jewelry and also were llama herders and loom weavers. In 1535, the Crown commissioned
Diego de Almagro to conquer northwest Argentina. He took two thousand mercenaries over the
Atacama desert region and waged war on the rebelling tribes, marking the first of the three
Calchaquíes Wars. He vanquished the Pulares and at least two other tribes immediately. But even with their army, they were only able to destroy the Argentine Diaguita by erecting six cities surrounding them. These took over the next century to build; cutting off mobility, trade, and outer resources. Meanwhile, the Chilean Diaguita who did not submit to Spanish rule were destroyed in the 1550’s. The Calchaquí rebelled against the new rule. That tribe alone battled the Spanish