The Political Ecology of Camelid Pastoralism by Wari and Tiwanaku Colonists in the Moquegua Valley, Peru

Summary

The Moquegua Valley in southern Peru was the locale where the rival early imperial states of Wari and Tiwanaku established provincial colonial centers. Both Wari and Tiwanaku colonists concentrated their settlements in the low to mid-sierra elevations of the valley, elevations that are not modern zones of camelid husbandry. The political ecology of imperial settlement at this elevation fostered the development of local systems of camelid pastoralism that were significant economic components for both groups of colonists. Camelids were used for dietary and ritual uses as well as for transport and trade. The osteological, morphological, pathological, and isotopic evidence from camelid remains from a range of sites associated with both Wari and Tiwanaku settlements indicate that local production and breeding of camelids were significant components of the livelihoods of colonists regardless of cultural affiliation. This ability to rear camelids in this setting and to create economic ties with communities at higher elevations attests to the significant political ability of these early empires to alter their local settings in order to sustain these animals and to create viable economic and cultural systems.

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): 15446