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Our Father the Cayman, Our Dinner the Llama: Animal Utilization at Chavín de Huántar, Peru

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

George R. Miller  and
Richard L. Burger
George R. Miller
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, California State University, Hayward, CA 94542–3039
Richard L. Burger
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Yale University, P.O. Box 208277, New Haven, CT 06520–8277
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Abstract

Analysis of the animal bones recovered from the excavations of residential contexts at Chavín de Huántar reveals a mixed economy that included the herding and hunting of camelids (llama and vicuña) at Chavín de Huántar as early as the Urabarriu Phase (900–500 B.C.). It also suggests that a pattern of trade in dried llama meat (ch'arki) from high altitude environments (punas) to lower ones had developed by the Chakinani phase (500–400 B.C.), while the consumption of hunted animals (especially deer) sharply declined in importance. During the apogee of Chavín de Huántar (400–200 B.C.), socioeconomic stratification is reflected in differential access to tender meat from younger animals. The role of Chavín de Huántar in the spread of camelid pastoralism and the importance of highland vs. tropical rain forest animals in Chavín ideology is discussed as well.

Resumen

Resumen

El análisis de los huesos de animates recuperados durante las excavaciones de contextos residenciales en el sitio arqueológico de Chavín de Huántar revela que una economía mixta basada en el pastoreo y caza de camélidos (llama y vicuña) floreció durante la fase Urabarriu (900–500 A.C.). Asimismo, sugerimos que un patrón de intercambio de carne de llama deshidratada (ch'arki) existía entre los asentamientos de las alturas (punas) y el valle bajo durante las fases Chakinani (500–400 A.C.) y Janabarriu (400–200 A.C.) mientras que el consumo de animals silvestres, como venado declinaba dramáticamente en importancia. Durante el apogeo de Chavín de Huántar, la estratiflcacion socioecónomica se manifestó a través del acceso diferencial al consumo de animates jóvenes. El rol de Chavín de Huántar en la expansión del pastoreo de camélidos y la importancia relativa de los animates de la puna vs. los de lafloresta tropical en la ideología Chavín son aqui brevemente discutidos.

Type
Articles
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 60 , Issue 3 , July 1995 , pp. 421 - 458
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1995

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References

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