The Development and Expansion of a New Subsistence System in the Late Formative Period

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Social Dynamics in the North Highlands of Peru during the Formative Period: Pacopampa project’s Contribution for Understanding the Early Complex Societies in the Andes" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Multi-isotope analyses of human and animal remains at the Pacopampa site have unveiled a significant transformation in food resource utilization during the Late Formative period. The increased consumption of C4 plants and the use of domesticated camelids were previously implied in the study of the Kuntur Wasi site. However, these two phenomena were regarded as independent events— the rise in maize consumption was attributed to enhanced food production and chicha use linked to the development of ceremonial centers, while the use of camelids was associated with the expansion of long-distance trade. Studies at Pacopampa, however, have revealed that these are interconnected phenomena, specifically the emergence of a lowland llama rearing system supported by C4 plants, forming a llama-maize agro-pastoral system. Recent research suggests that this new subsistence system rapidly expanded during the Late Formative period, indicating the existence of extensive long-distance networks between religious centers.

In this study, we present an analysis of food resource exploitation during the Middle and Late Formative periods, focusing on the Pacopampa complex. By comparing it with other Formative sites, we will explore the timing, reasons, and factors behind the development of this new subsistence system.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Social Dynamics in the North Highlands of Peru during the Formative Period: Pacopampa project’s Contribution for Understanding the Early Complex Societies in the Andes   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50174