In this paper we discuss some of the ways in which certain areas of the Antarctic continent intended to be transformed into a series of ‘places’ not only known but also dominated by the modern world. With that aim in mind, we consider the materiality of the cultural landscape, making reference to the multiple practices that could have shaped it. We focus our attention on the first human settlements on the South Shetland Islands, which were established by sealers and whalers at the early nineteenth century.En este trabajo discutimos las formas en que algunos sectores del continente antártico intentaron ser transformados en un conjunto de ‘lugares’ conocidos y dominados por el mundo moderno. Para ello consideramos la materialidad del paisaje cultural, refiriendo a las prácticas que pudieron contribuir a darle forma. Centramos nuestra atención en las primeras ocupaciones humanas en las Islas Shetland del Sur, efectuadas por cazadores de mamíferos marinos hacia principios del siglo XIX.