Management of South American camelids in the eastern Andes of Northwestern Argentina: a comparative study of archaeological cases in the last two millennia
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Human-camelid interactions were an essential component in the everyday life of the societies that inhabited the South and Central Andes. While numerous studies have concentrated on this topic, they have primarily focused on the Puna plateaus, where camelids remain a key resource today. In contrast, the eastern Andean regions of Northwestern Argentina have been historically viewed as marginal and the presence of camelids in zooarchaeological assemblages has been often attributed to hunting or specialized pastoralist production for political and administrative centers located in the western valleys. Recent research in this area challenges and reshapes this view. This paper reassesses the presumed marginality of these regions by critically looking at zooarchaeological information including taxonomic, osteometric, age profiles and skeletal parts representation analyses from several key sites. We propose a preliminary model of camelid management in these environments, contributing to broader discussions of similar practices in non-high-Andean regions of South America.
Institutions: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, National University of Catamarca, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, National University of Tucumán, Instituto interdisciplinario Tilcara, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology
Language: English
Subfield: Paleontology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W4409410293