The fish of Lake Titicaca: implications for archaeology and changing ecology through stable isotope analysis

Miller, Morton W.; Capriles, José M.; Hastorf, Christine A.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.09.043

Cited by 50 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(77 reference statements)

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“…Similarly, the δ 13 C col isotopic range among the Machu Picchu population spans the values available for terrestrial and aquatic protein sources in the region (Table 2, Figure 5; see also Miller et al 2010, andTieszen andChapman 1993). This human isotopic range also exceeds that found in the four archaeological llama specimens analyzed here, meaning that it is unlikely that a single population with common backgrounds were simply eating meat from isotopically variable llama.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Plot of δ 15 N vs. δ 13 C for indigenous food resources likely available to Central Andean highland populations. *Isotopic data from archaeological Lake Titicaca fish from Miller et al (2010). **Mean isotopic data from Tieszen and Chapman (1993).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These products were also dried and traded for dried llama (lama glama) meat to the highlands, where they were kept in storehouses (Marcus et al 1999;Rostworowski 1977). Similarly, communities in proximity to rivers and lakes likely consumed freshwater fish (see Miller et al 2010 for taxonomic detail). Hunting was strictly regulated by the Inca throughout the empire, while cuy, or guinea pig (cavia porcellus) and llama were consumed primarily in ceremonial or celebratory contexts (Rowe 1946:217); therefore consumption of meat was likely limited among nonelites in everyday diet.…”

Section: Ancient Andean Diet: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a review of colonial literature on traditional Andean culinary practices, Bray (2003:9-10) describes the most common methods for preparing food as boiling, roasting, toasting, grinding and fermenting (i.e., for chicha, a beer-like beverage brewed). Food samples were thus rinsed with ddH 2 O and subjected to boiling, roasting and toasting using laboratory furnaces and hot plates, then freeze-dried and ground prior to characterization of δ 13 C and δ 15 N. Baseline data for terrestrial and aquatic resources from northern Chile are reported by Tieszen and Chapman (1993), while baseline data for freshwater fish from Late Titicaca are reported by Miller et al (2010), and are referenced here for interpreting the Machu Picchu human isotopic data.…”

Section: Isotopic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in Dietary Histories Among the Immigrants of Machu Picchu: Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Evidence

2010

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This study estimates dietary composition during infancy and childhood among 71 adults interred at the site of Machu Picchu, a royal Inca estate in the southern highlands of Peru. Recent research suggests that the majority of individuals were members of the cosmopolitian yana and aclla servant classes, and immigrated to the site from different regions; individual dietary histories may have been similarly varied. Diet was estimated at multiple points in early life through characterization of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in tooth enamel and dentin, which preserve isotopic values from the first years of life. These data were compared to isotopic data from modern food samples, and analyzed using recently-published statistical models. A subset of individuals also has existing bone collagen isotopic data, which reflects diet from the last decade of life and thus permits comparison over the life course. Results indicate significant variation in enamel δ 13 C (approximately 12‰), dentin δ 13 C (approximately 9‰) and δ 15 N (approximately 8‰) between individuals across the study population. These findings suggest substantial variability in diet during infancy and childhood, and support interpretations that this population was primarily yanacona or mixed yanacona/acllacona. This study also highlights the utility of multi-tissue isotopic analysis in more nuanced reconstruction of diet in the ancient Andes.Key words: Stable isotopes, teeth, Inca, paleodiet, Precolumbian Andes. este estudio estima la composición dietética durante la infancia y la niñez en 71 entierros de adultos del sitio machu Picchu, una propiedad real inca en las montañas de Perú. esta investigación sugiere que la mayoría de los individuos eran miembros de una clase cosmopolita de servidores yana y aclla que inmigraron a este sitio desde diferentes regiones, por lo que sus historias dietéticas tempranas pudieron haber sido variadas. la dieta fue estimada en múltiples puntos de la primera parte de la vida de estos individuos a través de la caracterización de las proporciones de isotópicos estables de carbón y nitrógeno conservados en el esmalte y dentina de la dentadura desde las primeras épocas de vida de los individuos. estos datos fueron comparados con datos isotópicos de alimentos actuales y analizados con modelos

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ancient Andean Diet: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Isotopic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in Dietary Histories Among the Immigrants of Machu Picchu: Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Evidence

2010

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“…Food web isotope values comprised the edible portions of 119 southern Andean plant and animal samples drawn from previous work in the region (DeNiro and Hastorf 1985;Miller et al 2010;Pestle et al 2015b;Schoeninger and DeNiro 1984;Tieszen and Chapman 1992). Any modern data included in this reference sample had δ 13 C values corrected by +1.5 ‰ to account for the fossil fuel burning effect (Keeling et al 1979).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eating out or dining in: modeling diverse dietary strategies in the Middle Period, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Pestle

Torres‐Rouff

Hübbe

et al. 2016

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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The Middle Period of the Atacama oases, North Chile, has been characterized as a time of peace, uniform abundance, and widespread access to exotic materials. In the present work, we test this notion through a comparison of Middle Period human isotopic data (δ 13 C co , δ 15 N co , and δ 13 C ap ) representing two distinct ayllus, Solcor and Tchecar, in the San Pedro de Atacama oases. We employ Bayesian mixture modeling of individual-level isotopic data to quantify and compare dietary composition within and between the cemetery populations of these two contemporary locales. Ultimately, our research shows that dietary diversity, which we take as a proxy for differential levels of participation in long-distance exchange or the access to the products thereof, was unequally distributed, and that the supposedly uniform richness of the Middle Period was similarly discontinuous. While average isotopic values for the two ayllus were similar, variance within each differed significantly, as did variance in dietary composition arrived at through modeling. By all measures, the individuals interred in Solcor 3 had more varied diets, particularly in terms of carbohydrate-rich plants, than their contemporaries interred at Tchecar Túmulo Sur, suggesting that more individuals from Solcor 3 had greater participation in/access to long-distance exchange networks. Besides providing novel insights into the lived experience of the Middle Period residents of far northern Chile, this work also demonstrates the power of Bayesian mixture modeling for the reconstruction of individual paleodiet.

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High altitude agriculture in the Titicaca basin (800 BCE–200 CE): Impacts on nutrition and disease load

Juengst

Hutchinson

Chávez

2017

American J Hum Biol

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We interpret these results as an indication that while diets remained nutritious, investment in the landscape exposed populations to issues of sanitation and disease. The high-altitude of the Titicaca Basin did not exacerbate the biological impacts of agriculture in terms of increased malnutrition. Additionally, disease load was likely related to problems faced by many sedentary groups as opposed to unique challenges posed by high altitude. In sum, despite the high elevation, the Titicaca Basin is not truly a marginal environment for humans.

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The fish of Lake Titicaca: implications for archaeology and changing ecology through stable isotope analysis

Cited by 50 publications

References 51 publications

Variation in Dietary Histories Among the Immigrants of Machu Picchu: Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Evidence

Variation in Dietary Histories Among the Immigrants of Machu Picchu: Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Evidence

Eating out or dining in: modeling diverse dietary strategies in the Middle Period, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

High altitude agriculture in the Titicaca basin (800 BCE–200 CE): Impacts on nutrition and disease load

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