Oasis America, Mesoamerica Y Aridoamerica

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Oasis America, Mesoamerica Y Aridoamerica OASISAMERICA, MESOAMERICA Y ARIDOAMERICA En el transcurso de los siglos, las prácticas culturales y las condiciones del medio ambiente propiciaron en algunas zonas el desarrollo de la agricultura como fuente principal de subsistencia y con ello, se definieron alrededor de 2500 a.C. dos grandes áreas o superáreas culturales: Aridoamérica y Mesoamérica. En el primer espacio la fuente principal de vida siguió siendo la caza y recolección, mientras que en Mesoamérica la vida se hizo sedentaria con base en la agricultura. Con el paso del tiempo, alrededor de 500 a.C., por la mejora de las técnicas de cultivo y de riego y el intercambio cultural parte de Aridoamérica (Suroeste de los E.U. y el Noroeste de México) fue ocupada por pueblos sedentarios. Esta región con cultura mixta se le conoce como Oasisamérica. Fue el antropólogo Paul Kirchhoff quien conceptualizó en 1943 estas tres grandes áreas geográficas-culturales: Aridoamérica, Oasisamérica y Mesoamérica. Queremos destacar que se trata de conceptos y que estas áreas no eran inmutables, sino en constante transformación de acuerdo con el desarrollo de las sociedades. Oasisamérica En algunas regiones semiáridas, haciendo uso de algunos ríos como el Gila y el Asunción en Arizona, los pobladores no quedaron en el nivel del nomadismo gracias a la adopción de nuevas técnicas e instrumentos de trabajo y el intercambio con las culturas mesoamericanas. Así, dentro de Aridoamérica se empezó a distinguir, alrededor de 500 a.C., un área cultural que se conoce como Oasisamérica. Se ubica en parte de los territorios actuales de Arizona, Nuevo México y California en los E.U. y Sonora y Chihuahua en México. Las principales (sub)áreas culturales de dicha región son la Anasazi, la Hohokam y la Mogollón. De esta última destaca la Ciudad de Paquimé o Casas Grandes, una extensa ciudad elaborada de adobe. Los habitantes de dicho lugar dependieron cada vez más de la agricultura y adoptaron también varias prácticas culturales del sur como la construcción de grandes complejos habitacionales, el juego de pelota, la producción de cerámica, etc. Localización Hoy día el mundo está dividido en lo que conocemos como continentes, cada uno con sus respectivos países. Pero en la época precolombina, estas regiones no eran más que zonas ocupadas por distintos pueblos. La Oasisamérica fue una de las tantas superáreas culturales que se conocieron en el pasado. Estaba localizada en la región que hoy se conoce como el suroeste de Estados Unidos y el noreste de México. Específicamente, Oasisamérica abarcaba el estado de Utah, parte del estado de Arizona, de Nuevo México y de Colorado. Esto respecto a Estados Unidos. En cuanto a la parte mexicana, ocupaba parte del Estado de Sonora y Chihuahua. Sin embargo, la superárea también incluía algunas extensiones de California, Baja California y Texas. Tipo de territorio Oasisamérica ha sido descrita como un punto verde en el desierto. Y es que toda la zona que de esta región estaba conformada por tierras áridas y semiáridas. Esta superárea era básicamente un territorio agreste caracterizado por la presencia de montañas rocosas y de la llamada Sierra Madre Occidental. Además de las enormes cordilleras, en esta zona también se extendían grandes planicies áridas pertenecientes a los desiertos de las tres zonas que conformaban el aŕea: Sonora, Chihuahua y Arizona. El paisaje de Oasisamérica se caracterizaba por lo accidentado del terreno. Y es que no solo había altas montañas sino también suelos resquebrajados. Yacimientos de turquesa La región de Oasisamérica era rica en yacimientos de turquesa. Este mineral de color azul verdoso fue uno de los materiales más apreciados por las culturas de la época. El intercambio de esta piedra preciosa fue lo que permitió el establecimiento de una relación entre la región mesoamericana y la oasisamericana. La turquesa es una piedra opaca con un brillo ligero y ceroso, y de poca dureza (parecido al vidrio). Este mineral se localiza en yacimientos dentro de piedras sedimentarias, volcánicas o arenosas. Agricultura A pesar de que la tierra de Oasisamérica era un territorio semiárido, con un clima caluroso y seco y con pocas lluvias, contaba con algunas tierras fértiles para la práctica de la agricultura. Esto gracias a la presencia de oasis. A diferencia de sus vecinos del desierto, los oasisamericanos se convirtieron en agricultores, aunque por las condiciones climatológicas antes mencionadas, esta no fue tan eficiente como se habría esperado. Por ello, muchas veces tuvieron que recurrir a la caza y a la recolección para subsistir. Las condiciones ambientales hicieron que el proceso de introducción de la agricultura en la zona fuese gradual y dilatado. Los miembros de la cultura oasisamericana fueron adquiriendo los conocimientos agrícolas poco a poco. Por otro lado, se cree que fueron los mesoamericanos quienes portaron la tecnología agrícola a los oasisamericanos. Desarrollo hidráulico La cultura de Oasisamérica también se destacó por el desarrollo hidráulico. Debido a que la zona contaba con un clima seco, casi desértico y con una vegetación escasa, uno de los requerimientos para dedicarse a la agricultura fue la canalización de las corrientes de agua superficial, así como el almacenamiento del agua de lluvia. Con el objetivo de mantener los cultivos, los pobladores aprovecharon los ríos en primera instancia y luego se dedicaron a crear sistemas hidráulicos complejos. Tres grandes culturas Ruinas anasazi En el territorio oasisamericano se desarrollaron tres grandes culturas. Estas fueron la anasazi, la hohokam y la mogollón. La primera floreció en la confluencia de los estados de Arizona, Utah, Colorado y Nuevo México. Es considerada como una de las sociedades más complejas que se vieron en el territorio oasisamericano y se trataba de un territorio poblado de bosques de juníperos. Los antiguos pobladores supieron aprovechar al máximo estos recursos vegetales ya que se dedicaban a la recolección. Por su parte, los pueblos pertenecientes a la cultura Hohokam se asentaron en los territorios formados por los desiertos de Arizona y Sonora. Esta zona estaba rodeada por dos grandes corrientes de agua: el río Colorado y el río Gila. Este era uno de los ecosistemas con condiciones más difíciles para la agricultura e incluso para la vida humana. Esto se debía a las altas temperaturas y a la escasa pluviosidad. La Mogollón fue un área cultural oasisamericana que se ubicó en las estribaciones de la Sierra Madre Occidental (parte del territorio actual de los estados de Arizona y Nuevo México en Estados Unidos). Los pueblos de esta cultura disfrutaron de un entorno geográfico caracterizado por la presencia de bosques de pinos, así como por escarpadas montañas y barrancos. Cerámica La fabricación de cerámica fue uno de los elementos que marcó el fin de la época de caza y recolección de los pueblos oasisamericanos. La producción de cerámica marcó el comienzo del sedentarismo en esta población. Las tres culturas de Oasisamérica se dedicaron a esta actividad, aunque en periodos distintos. Los anasazi, por ejemplo, tuvieron un primer momento conocido como periodo cestero. En él se dedicaron a una economía mixta y solo tejían cestas. Pero en el segundo momento, conocido como período pueblo, iniciaron la producción de cerámica. Fue un momento de máxima expresión artística. Crearon una cerámica muy detallada de mimbre, utilizando los colores rojo, negro y blanco. Además no solo diseñaban figuras geométricas, sino también animales y personas estilizadas. Los hohokam produjeron un tipo de cerámica distinta a los anasazi. En su primer periodo, conocido como pionero, contaban con una cerámica monocromática gris o cafesosa de uso doméstico. Pero ya para su tercer periodo, el sedentario, la cerámica alcanzó una mejor calidad y una gran variedad de estilos, diseños y colores. Al igual que las dos culturas de la superárea, los mogollones también producían piezas de cerámica, las cuales eran de gran calidad y belleza. Durante su primera fase, llamada Georgetown, la cerámica era simple, no tenía decoraciones y su color era café. Sus formas solo eran cajetes y jarros. Sin embargo, para su segunda fase (San Francisco), aparecieron las primeras cerámicas que estaban decoradas con rojo sobre café. Obras de arquitectura En la cultura oasisamericana, específicamente la de los anasazi, hubo un período de máxima expresión arquitectónica. Durante el llamado período pueblo aparecieron los grandes multifamiliares de varios pisos. Muchos de ellos eran escalonados y algunos estaban erigidos en acantilados. En la cultura Hohokam, por su parte, la arquitectura era más sencilla. En este grupo predominaban las habitaciones semisubterráneas, las cuales estaban techadas con troncos de mezquite y hojas. Muchas veces estaban recubiertas con lodo. En el caso de los mogollones se agregaron a las formas arquitectónicas previas plantas rectangulares. Y en cuanto a los recintos ceremoniales se les construyeron paredes que eran ligeramente curvas. Taparrabos y ornamentos La vestimenta de todos los pobladores pertenecientes a esta superárea era casi igual que en otras culturas precolombinas. Su indumentaria estaba compuesta por taparrabos, sandalias y una banda que se colocaba en la frente. Las mujeres solían usar capas, camisas, enredos para la cabeza y una especie de delantal o faldín pélvico cuando tenían la menstruación. También solían utilizar distintos objetos ornamento. Entre ellos collares, brazaletes, pectorales, etc. Estos elementos también eran indicadores de cierta posición social. Culto a divinidades Los distintos grupos que formaban parte de la cultura de Oasisamérica tenían creencias muy variadas. Sin embargo, estas personas compartían el culto a divinidades que estaban asociadas con la naturaleza y la fertilidad. Algunas culturas del suroeste de Estados Unidos rendían culto a los kachinas, que eran entidades con un aspecto parecido al del dios mesoamericano Tláloc. Dichos seres sobrenaturales estaban asociados con la caza, la lluvia y con los cultivos. A la llegada de los españoles, las culturas que una vez florecieron en Oasisamérica, habían desaparecido en su gran mayoría.
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