Capayán

The Capayanes were an indigenous people, now extinct, that lived in Argentine territory.

Their geographical area was partly of the provinces of La Rioja, Catamarca, San Juan, from the mountainous zone understood to be between the limit of La Rioja with Catamarca on Colorado river and the surroundings of Jáchal river-Zanjón, in San Juan, including Andes, in the western part, up to the cords of the Velasco, where they were mixed with the Diaguitas. They occupied the fertile valleys of Famatina, Sanagasta, Yacampis, Guandacol and Jáchal. They had as neighbors, in the northern part the diaguitas and in the southern part the huarpes.

They shared with the diaguitas or paziocas the language Kakán, or a derivation of it. Vestiges of their language are in completions as bis, wee or small stone, for example: Yacampis, Quilmebis, Guanchina, etc.

The Capayán knew the technology of the thread, and spun the wool of guanaco and llamas. Also they knew the metallurgy of copper and gold. They constructed channels and irrigation ditches to water their farmlands. Their cultivars were maize, zapallo, potato and quínoa. They widely used ceramics, principally in the production of funeral urns, decorated geometrically with the colors black, red and white, known as Sanagasta style or Angualasto style.

Their houses were of mud and adobe and were sometimes built at the foot of a great tree used as a roof. This technology of construction, still lasts in the Riojan zone of Vinchina .

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