Bioarchaeological study for ancient camelid husbandry and the Andean Formative society.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13398
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03050:Archaeology-related
• Research Institution: National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo (2021-2023); Yamagata University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Takigami Mai 独立行政法人国立科学博物館, 人類研究部, 研究員 (50720942)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 古代アンデス / リャマ / 形成期 / パコパンパ / クントゥル・ワシ / 同位体分析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated the spread of llama husbandry and its social impact during the Andean Formative Period. The human bone analysis from the Pacopampa site revealed that the consumption of maize-fed llama meat became one of the important food in a human diet. The animal bone anlysis from the Kuntur Wasi site also revealed the appearance of llamas raised on C4 plants in the late Formative period. However, it is also found that llamas raised in highland grass land during the middle Formative period seen at the Pacopampa site were not present at the Kuntur Wasi site. This indicates that the process of introducing llamas husbandry may have differed between the Pacopampa and Kuntur Wasi sites. This would suggest that camelid pastoralists migrated along the highland plateau by the middle of the Formative period and interacted with maize farmers around the temples situated in lower elevation in the late Formative period.

Free Research Field

Bioarchaeology

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果から、ペルー中部高地のフニン高原で家畜化されたラクダ科動物が北に伝播する過程で、初期には4000m台の天然の牧草地に飼育地が広がり、形成期後期以降に2000m台の神殿がある暖地に飼育が広がった可能性が指摘された。当初、神殿を利用していたのはトウモロコシ農民であったが、形成期中期に近くの高地高原に移住したリャマ牧民との交流が広がり、形成期後期に暖地での新たな農牧複合生業「リャマ＝トウモロコシ複合」が生まれ、神殿での共同の儀礼活動につながったと推測される。農民集団と牧民集団の融合に伴う社会変化という視点は新しく、次のプロジェクトへと発展した。