Diet in Peru's pre-Hispanic central coast

Abstract

The Tablada de Lurín cemetery Lima, Peru) is characterised by two mortuary phases. Based on associated grave finds and the lack of habitation sites near the cemetery, it has been hypothesised that both burial populations came from a certain distance of the site (ca. 20 km) and that they relied on land rather than marine resources. We tested these hypotheses, based on material culture, through stable isotope analysis. The aim was to understand the populations' diet and geographic origins. We sampled 47 human individuals and eleven sets of faunal remains from both phases for stable isotope analysis (carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen) of bone and dental collagen, and apatite. Modern samples of autochthonous food were also tested as a baseline for comparison. The results showed preservation differences between the remains from both phases. Individuals from Phase 1 provided the best isotopic dataset and showed consumption of protein from marine resources and C 4 plants. On the other hand, bioapatite carbon and oxygen stable isotope results from both phases highlighted differences in C 4 plant consumption and individuals of possible non-local origin. The results underline the need to study further the effect of brewed or cooked beverages on bioapatite oxygen levels. Finally, results from Phase 1 fit with the broader dietary pattern evident in other Andean sites, where coastal populations consumed marine protein and C 4 plants, as opposed to highland populations who relied on terrestrial protein sources and C 3 plants.

Climate and demography drive 7000 years of dietary change in the Central Andes

“…To control for the elevation induced effects on climate 27 and subsistence strategies 28 , here individual diets and broader dietary change are analyzed across three elevation zones: coastal, mid-elevations, and highlands (see methods for details on assignation of individuals). These zones approximate elevation-influenced subsistence patterns 28 , 31 , 35 and allow for: a) reconstruction of general dietary change within similar strategies, and b) evaluation of if the effects of climate and population vary by subsistence strategy.…”

“…Elevation in the Andes affects climate 27 and subsistence modes/opportunities 28 . Therefore, we group individuals into three elevation categories (coastal, mid-elevation, and highland) which roughly correspond to elevation-influenced subsistence patterns: agro-marine with heavier marine influence on the coast, agro-marine-pastoral in the mid-elevations with greater emphasis on agriculture, and agro-pastoral with heavier influence of pastoralism in the highlands 28 , 31 , 35 .…”

“…Elevation in the Andes affects climate 27 and subsistence modes/opportunities 28 . Therefore, we group individuals into three elevation categories (coastal, mid-elevation, and highland) which roughly correspond to elevation-influenced subsistence patterns: agro-marine with heavier marine influence on the coast, agro-marine-pastoral in the mid-elevations with greater emphasis on agriculture, and agro-pastoral with heavier influence of pastoralism in the highlands 28 , 31 , 35 . This allows us to i) evaluate the long-term trends in dietary variation across different subsistence strategies, ii) more directly examine whether climate or population have greater effects on dietary variation by examining influences within elevation categories, and iii) evaluate if the effects of climate and population size vary between the categories, implying differential influences based on primary subsistence pattern.…”

“…Given the scarcity of long-term quantitative studies on diet in the region, first, we generate a database of 1965 archaeological individuals with stable isotope δ 15 N‰ or δ 13 C‰ bone collagen values from which we reconstruct both the patterns of dietary change over space and time and the variation between individuals’ diets. Due to the dramatic influence of elevation on environment 27 and subsistence strategy 28 in the Andes, we divide the study area into three elevational zones and classify each individual by location (see methods). The data reveal that Central Andean diets exhibit broad changes and vary significantly over time and space.…”

Population-level assessment of atlas occipitalization in artificially modified crania from pre-Hispanic Peru

“…Coastal Peruvian populations ate less varied diets and were more sedentary [63], and some Peruvian groups who lived farther inland in coastal regions were largely dependent on maize [64,65] and may have developed nutritional deficiencies [66,67] that could contribute to the development of AO. However, the proximity of many more coastal groups in Arequipa, Ica, and Lima to a rich variety of supplementary crops [64,68,69] and protein sources [66,70,71] makes it less likely that maize-related malnutrition was universal among them. Ultimately, any firm conclusions about the diets of the individuals in our sample would require stable isotopic analyses, given the large temporal spread and lack of geographic specificity within each region.…”