Rethinking the “Indigenous Void”: Archaeology and Social Interactions during the Colonization of Continental Aysén

Abstract

Historically, the continental zone of Aysén has been portrayed, both in traditional archaeology and documentary sources, as a territory “empty” of Indigenous populations at the time of state expansion in the early twentieth century. This study critically reassesses that narrative through an integrated analysis of the regional archaeological record, incorporating radiocarbon data, material evidence, and historical sources. Although the material record is generally low in visibility, its broad and recurrent distribution suggests ephemeral occupation dynamics that indicate a greater degree of population continuity than is acknowledged in official accounts. We argue that these dynamics are related to both direct and indirect colonial processes originating in neighboring areas, the adoption of new technologies and mobility patterns, and the subsequent formation of the Nation-State, all of which promoted displacement and territorial reorganization. In this context, archaeology plays a key role in making these historical trajectories visible and in challenging the construction of “emptiness” as an interpretive category, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of Indigenous presence in the region and to problematizing the historical formation of the category of “local Indigenous people” in Aysén.