Proizvedeniia yuzhnoamerikanskikh iezuitov XVII-XVIII vv. kak istochnik dlia izucheniia traditsionnoi material’noi kul’tury indeiskikh narodov

Abstract

The article examines the value of Jesuit writings as sources for the study of traditional material culture of South American natives. The author argues that, although these writings may contain incomplete and often inaccurate or misleading information, they still provide detailed descriptions of an array of cultural traits of various peoples. This makes them indispensable both for those studying Native American cultures of the 17th-18th centuries, and for those attempting to reconstruct pre-Columbian civilizations.