Recolección, economía campesina y representaciones de los montaraces en Santiago del Estero, siglos XVI a XIX

this article analyzes the importance of gathering products -honey, wax, cochineal and, above all, carob bean- in the peasant economy of santiago del estero province from the spanish conquest to the end of the xixth century. among other variables, this paper deals with the historic relevance of the environmental conditions, the competition with other groups to obtain the same resources and the combination with other agrarian activities and migratory strategies among the peasant communities on the banks of the dulce and salado rivers. finally, the last part is dedicated to the gatherers. the goal is to track down the profile of these subjects that were conceived in two different ways by the xix and xxth centuries literature. on one hand, they were seen as lazy people -thanks to the overabundance of wild resources and, on the other hand, as victims of the scarcity of a fragile environment