Local food, exotic sacrifices: the tentative summary of the animal management in Castillo de Huarmey.

Summary

Even through the majority of faunal remains so far recovered at Castillo de Huarmey site derived from ceremonial contexts (i.e. main mortuary mausoleum and adjacent palatial complex), studies demonstrate that at the very least, the site’s elite inhabitants extensively exploited local resources, and simultaneously benefited from developed trade connections. At the core of animal management was the extensive camelid husbandry. The standard zooarchaeological analysis and mortality profiles indicated that camelids served as a source of meat, pelts, and material for bone tools. Stable isotopic analysis, together with research on bone pathologies confirm the local origin of most animals, but not of all. Distinctive isotopic ratios and vertebrae pathologies suggest usage of few camelids as beasts of burden. Scarce marine birds and sea lion (Otaria flavescens) findings suggest limited utilization of marine resources as well. Additionally, the presence of exotic and non-consumable species such as: monkey (f. Atelinae), condor (Vultur gryphus) and parrot (Amazona aestiva) in the sacrificed assemblage possibly reflects long-distance trade and is a sign of Castillo’s importance as a local Wari capital.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Multidisciplinary Research at Castillo de Huarmey, Peru   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16240