Osteometric and isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) evidence of Pre-Hispanic camelid-herd breeding in Moche site of “Huaca de la Luna” (North coast of Peru)

Can first phalanx multivariate morphometrics help document past taxonomic diversity in South American camelids?

“…The two size groups identified at Huacas de Moche suggest that both llamas and alpacas were present. This is congruent with isotopic studies indicating that some of the individuals for which phalanges have been measured were raised in the lowlands (Vásquez et al, 2020)., as was previously suggested by (Dufour et al, 2014) and at El Brujo (Santana-Sagredo et al, 2020), although the SAC remains were not assigned to a specific species. The permanent domestic herds in the lowlands, therefore, were likely composed of both domestic species, despite previous reluctance to accept the presence of alpacas outside the highlands (Topic et al, 1987).…”

“…The identification of Mochica SAC from the Huacas de Moche site specimens is very challenging. Alpaca and llama phalanges were identified in previous reports (Vásquez and Rosales Tham, 2009;Vásquez et al, 2020). But according to our results it is impossible to determine the taxa of the Huacas de Moche intermediate group to species level, because it totally overlaps the two modern domestic species morphometrics.…”

“…1). Four phalanges from the high elevation cave site of Pachamachay date to phase 5 (1500 BCE) (Kent, 1982), while phalanges from the Moche culture come from domestic and funerary contexts at the Huacas de Moche complex (n = 37; Vásquez and Rosales Tham, 2009;Vásquez et al, 2020), Cerro Chepén (n = 22; Vásquez and Rosales Tham, 2009) and El Brujo complex graves (n = fore; Goepfert, 2011). The Lambayeque-Sicán culture phalanges come from the Huaca Amarilla (n = 5 fore) in the Sechura Desert (Goepfert et al, 2018).…”

Textiles chimúes con plumas decoloradas con técnicatapirage, Huaca de la Luna, Perú

“…Los análisis de muestras de contextos funerarios chimúes obtenidas en el templo Huaca de la Luna, en el sitio Huacas de Moche, permitieron examinar la presencia de plumas tapirage en la costa norte peruana durante el período Intermedio Tardío (1000-1440 dC). Durante esa época, había condiciones de desierto y la vegetación silvestre estaba bien adaptada a la aridez (Vásquez et al 2020). Los árboles de baja altura no ofrecían, sin embargo, recursos de alimentación, refugio o reproducción para aves con requerimientos tan específicos como los guacamayos y los grandes loros del género Amazona .…”