Arcos selknam del Museo Regional de Magallanes y del Museo Maggiorino Borgatello de Punta Arenas

The following study analyses and contextualises 19 Selknam bows from Tierra del Fuego, 5 of which are kept in the Regional Museum of Magallanes and 14 in the Maggiorino Borgatello Museum, both in Punta Arenas, Chile. The artefacts are representative of this hunter-gatherer people, who used them until the beginning of the 20th century, when they were displaced and decimated by the arrival of colonisers. The text highlights the importance of the bows not only as a hunting tool, but also as a symbol of identity in rituals. In conclusion, they represent a valuable resource for a better and more detailed understanding of the history of this people.