Beginning of Camelid breeding during the Formative period at the Pacopampa site, Peru.

Summary

Our research on faunal remains from the Pacopampa and the Kuntur wasi sites has shown that Camelid breeding began during the Late Formative period (800 – 500 BC) in the northern highlands of Peru. However, motives for the introduction and usage of these animals remain obscure. We conducted multi-disciplinary analyses of the camelid remains from the Pacopampa site to investigate breeding and utilization patterns of these animals. The Sr and O isotope values from tooth enamel showed that 17 of 18 camelids from the Late Formative period had been bred and kept for their lifetimes near the sites. Although corresponding data for the Middle Formative period (1200 – 800 BC) is not available currently, N and C isotope ratios were statistically different from those of the Late Formative period. It suggests Camelids were bred in different areas and then transported to the site during the Middle Formative period. Mortality profiles and pathological observations indicate that camelids had rarely been used as pack animals but were consumed as meat during ritual feasting, used as sacrifice and possibly utilized for their hair. We conclude that camelid dispersal was undertaken in connection with the development of a complex society in the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Ecological Adaptations and New Forms of Pastoralism? New Insights into Herding Practices in the Andes during the Prehispanic Times

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15061