Pre-Hispanic societies facing their environment: spatial and diachronic change in Andean pastoralism (100-1470 AD) – CAMELANDES

The Andean pastoralism and the establishment of trades between different ecological levels (concept of Andean verticality) are the basis for the emergence of complex societies in the Central Andes. The diversity in climate and altitude of the geographic area creates a unique environmental mosaic. It constitutes a remarkable geographical and temporal setting to document human adaptation strategies and responses to struggle, protect against and adapt to environmental stress (in particular to ENSO events).
Llamas and alpacas are the only large domestic mammals in the Americas and were domesticated in the Andes about 6000 years ago. Intensification of their breeding started from the Early Horizon (1800 to 200 BC) and they finally occupied a fundamental economic, social and religious place in pre-Hispanic cultures. Nowadays, their breeding is confined to the Andes highlands above 3000 masl. They are totally absent from the Peruvian coast, a very arid ecological zone, while their presence during the pre-Hispanic times is attested by numerous archaeological remains: textiles, iconographic representations, and skeletal remains. These first evidences might suggest the permanence of herds on the coast. However, biological modalities subtending the animal adaptation to the arid coast, as well herd and territory management are unknown.
CAMELANDES seeks to bring direct and indisputable evidence for lowland local herding by an integrated interdisciplinary approach carried out by specialists in Andean archeology, zooarchaeology, biogeochemistry, archaeobotany, paleoparasitology, archaeoentomology, fibers and textile studies. Some of the methods, such as serial isotopic analysis of tooth enamel and the combined study of meso- and ecto- parasites are completely new in Peru. The project will document changes in the Andean pastoralism at a regional (northern coast of Peru), cultural (Mochica, Lambayeque, and Chimu), and diachronic (100-1470 A.D.) scale based on a wide corpus of more than 2,800 well preserved samples belonging to 140 specimens from seven archaeological sites This exceptionally diverse and well preserved corpus will enable to identifying 1) the local food resources necessary to seasonally or permanently maintain of the animals, 2) the mobility - transhumance movement of herds to intermediate or high valley altitudes -, 3) the herd health status and the identification of specific costal parasites. This diversification and intensification of the Andean pastoralism system should also be confirmed by the presence of enclosures near coastal sites.
Highlighting the local origin of secondary products (meat, bone, leather, wool, etc.) will lead to redefine the system of economic and symbolic trades between different ecological zones, to qualify the model of Andean verticality, and the territorial organization of pre-Hispanic societies. CAMELANDES is characterized by the originality of the topic, the scope of the dataset, and its completely innovative methodology for this cultural area. A wide dissemination of the results will be allowed by the French, English and Peruvian research teams originating from state-of-the-art laboratories, the training of young researchers in France and Peru, a valorization policy for scientific and general audience,. CAMELANDES is an ambitious and innovative project which dynamics aims to establish a leading team in archaeology of the Americas.