Camelid consumption at the Inca ceremonial site Maucallacta–Pampacolca. Zooarchaeological analysis of the “Basural 2” deposit

Abstract

AbstractThe site of Maucallacta (Pampacolca district, department of Arequipa, Peru), identified with the Inca oracle of the sacred mountain Coropuna, was probably an important religious centre in this region during the Late Horizon. The zooarchaeological examination, the results of which are presented in this article, covered the finds from the largest deposit containing animal bones discovered in Maucallacta (Basural 2). Although the presence of shell and—probably—bird offerings has been observed, the vast majority of animal remains belong to Andean camelids. The anatomical selection of camelid remains in Maucallacta, as well as numerous traces of cooking and tool marks, corresponding to butchering methods known from ethnographic observations, indicate that the animals were consumed. The article considers the possibility of the ritual nature of this consumption, such as ceremonial feasts, mentioned in written ethnohistorical sources regarding Inca customs.