Title
The llama's share: Highland origins of camelids during the Late Paracas period (370 to 200 BCE) in south Peru demonstrated by strontium isotope analysis
Date Issued
01 August 2018
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
Elsevier Ltd
Abstract
This article contributes to the debate on the habitat of “New World” camelids in pre-Colonial South America and provides new insights into the breeding and herding strategies developed by Andean societies. The case discussed here refers to the Late Paracas period (370 to 200 BCE) in the Palpa valleys of the western Andes in south Peru. Tooth enamel, which is formed only in the first years of life in mammals such as camelids, from 30 camelid individuals is examined through strontium isotope analysis. The camelid remains were excavated by the Palpa Archaeological Project (PAP) at the Paracas sites of Jauranga, Collanco, and Cutamalla, which are situated at distinct ecological levels. The data displays similar isotopic signatures for Jauranga on the coast, Collanco in the western yunga, and Cutamalla in the highlands. These results largely correspond with strontium isotope compositions for the highland of the Ayacucho region in the research area, as proved by recent environmental and archaeological reference samples. Therefore, it is assumed that the camelids utilized by Paracas people originated in highland areas, where the rearing of the animals took place. However, the possibility that a limited portion of camelids were raised in ecosystems at lower altitudes, including the coast, is not excluded. The results also indicate major exchange and mobility of camelids, camelid commodities, and other products that were transported along the western slopes of the Andes, to a great extent with the help of camelids as pack animals in caravans. Finally, our case study demonstrates the variety of camelid husbandry practices in pre-Hispanic South America.
Start page
257
End page
270
Volume
20
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Humanidades
Arqueología
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85047020862
Source
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
ISSN of the container
2352409X
Sponsor(s)
This study was supported with funds granted by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to the research group “Archaeology of Pre-Modern Economies” at the universities of Bonn and Cologne. The work of the Palpa Archaeological Project was financed by several institutions, including the Swiss-Liechtenstein Foundation for Archaeological Research Abroad (SLSA), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI). The latest project stage with the title “Center and Periphery: The Territory of the Paracas Culture in the South of Peru (800–200 BCE)” was a cooperation between the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the French National Research Agency (ANR). We would like to use the opportunity to thank the entire team of the Palpa Archaeological Project. Moreover, we gratefully acknowledge the Peruvian Ministry of Culture for the export permit of the camelid teeth samples (Resolución Viceministerial 139-2015-VMPCIC-MC of September 30, 2015). The results of an earlier version of this paper were presented at the 2nd Workshop of Archaeology and Stable Isotopes in South America, which was held in San Rafael, Argentina, in 2017. Many thanks go to the organizers and participants of this productive workshop.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus