Smoke on the Rocks: Pathways of Transformation in the Argentinian Northwest and Southern Andes

In the general framework of the Southern Andes, Northwestern Argentina has an ancient history linked to the generation of smoke through the act of smoking. By focusing on smoke, this paper seeks to decenter the smoker, the combusted matter and the technical aspects involved, in order to open the analysis to the binding gestures of the transformed substance. Thinking of smoke as part of a community of substances (liquid, pulverized, gaseous, etc.) that circulate and move between the bodies of different beings—as a way of sustaining existence, as a vital act—leads us to a new narrative about the practice of smoking and burning in this part of the planet. In this text, we will take a journey from the oldest known record of pipes in the Andes, through the colonial period and up to the present day, seeking to understand how smoke has persisted, transforming itself, without losing its social role as a connector and communicator between beings, aspects and sides of the world.