Camelid husbandry in the Atacama Desert? A stable isotope study of camelid bone collagen and textiles from the Lluta and Camarones Valleys, northern Chile

Abstract

Management of camelids in the coastal valleys of the Andes has generated much debate in recent years. Zooarchaeological and isotopic studies have demonstrated that in the coastal valleys of northern and southern Peru there were locally maintained camelid herds. Because of the hyperarid conditions of the northern coast of Chile, this region has been assumed to be unsuitable for the raising of camelids. In this study we report stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of camelid bone collagen and textiles made from camelid fiber from Late Intermediate Period (LIP) and Late Horizon (LH) occupations in northern Chilean river valleys. The camelid bone collagen isotopic compositions are consistent with these animals originating in the highlands, although there is a significant difference in the camelids dating to the LIP and LH, possibly because of changes made to distribution and exchange networks by the Inca in the LH. There were no differences between the isotopic compositions of the camelid fibers sampled from textiles in the LIP and LH, suggesting that either the production of camelid fiber was unchanged by the Inca or the changes that were made do not present visible isotopic evidence. Several camelid fiber samples from both the LIP and LH present very high δ 13 C and δ 15 N values, comparable to human hair samples from one site (Huancarane) in the Camarones Valley. These data suggest that people in the northern valleys of Chile may have kept small numbers of animals specifically for fiber production. Overall, however, the vast majority of the textile samples have isotopic compositions that are consistent with an origin in the highlands. These data suggest that the hyperarid coastal river valleys of northern Chile did not support substantial camelid herds as has been interpreted for northern Peru.

Paleodiet of Lamini camelids (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from the Pleistocene of southern Brazil: insights from stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ18O)

“…Similar to modern studies, paleontological and archaeological studies have reported high dietary plasticity, in which populations oscillate between C 3 and C 4 feeders (MacFadden and Schockey 1997;Feranec 2003;Gil et al 2016;Yann et al 2016;González-Guarda et al 2017;Domingo et al 2020;Gayo et al 2020;Szpak and Valenzuela 2020). Given their opportunistic behavior, the feeding habits of southern Brazilian camelids may have been the result of forage availability, ecological opportunity, and intra-and interspecific competition, as discussed in the following paragraphs.…”

Silvopastoralism and the shaping of forest patches in the Atacama Desert during the Formative Period (ca. 3000–1500 years BP)

“…Indeed, at lower elevation sites (800–1300 masl) with fossil or modern Prosopis forests (Guatacondo, Quillagua, San Salvador), macro or micro scale analyses of pellets reveal that camelids were ingesting pods as well as other local grazing plants. This environment is not ideal for camelid herding when compared to the puna’s rich, stable and productive grasslands and bofedales (Kuznar, 2001; Núñez, 2005; Núñez and Santoro, 1988; Rivera, 2005; Santoro et al, 2005; Szpak and Valenzuela, 2020). The breeding of camelids outside of this range might have been restricted to watered salares , oases, and riverine vegetation or irrigated areas, where crops such as maize or seasonal transhumance complemented natural restrictions (Dufour et al, 2014).…”

“…This encouragement probably also attracted wild fauna, reproducing hunting gathering strategies within the context of these new economies. Most of the ultimately stable isotopic studies carried out to gain insights into lowland husbandry have shown a diverse set of strategies to feed and maintain these herds (Gayo et al, 2020; Mader et al, 2018; Szpak and Valenzuela, 2020; Tomczyk et al, 2019).…”

Storing fish?: a dog’s isotopic biography provides insight into Iron Age food preservation strategies in the Russian Arctic

“…Collagen quality was assessed using the following well-established criteria: C:N Atomic (2.9–3.6), %C (> 13.0%), and %N (> 4.5%) (Ambrose 1990 ; DeNiro 1985 ). Although quality control indicators for archeological keratin have not been established for hair and nail samples, we use the C:N Atomic range (3.0–3.8) observed for modern samples to assess keratin quality (Szpak and Valenzuela 2020 ).…”