Animals of the Cloud Forest: Isotopic Variation of Archaeological Faunal Remains from Kuelap, Peru
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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2018 Animals of the Cloud Forest: Isotopic Variation of Archaeological Faunal Remains from Kuelap, Peru Samantha Michell University of Central Florida Part of the Anthropology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Michell, Samantha, "Animals of the Cloud Forest: Isotopic Variation of Archaeological Faunal Remains from Kuelap, Peru" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 5942. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/5942 ANIMALS OF THE CLOUD FOREST: ISOTOPIC VARIATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL FAUNAL REMAINS FROM KUELAP, PERU by SAMANTHA MARIE MICHELL B.S. Idaho State University, 2014 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Summer Term 2018 © 2018 Samantha Michell ii ABSTRACT Stable isotopic analyses of faunal remains are used as a proxy for reconstructing the ancient Chachapoya dietary environment of the northeastern highlands in Peru. Archaeologists have excavated animal remains from refuse piles at the monumental center of Kuelap (AD 900-1535). This archaeological site is located at 3000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.), where C3 plants dominate the region. The study presented here is one of the few in the Central Andes that uses faunal remains to develop local isotopic baselines, reconstruct resource exploitation, and provide insight into dietary variation. Bone collagen stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes are used to investigate animal diets of nine local fauna (Camelidae, Cervidae, Caviidae, Chinchillidae, Cuniculidae, Leporidae, Felidae, Canidae, and Aves). Different taxonomic families were evaluated to explore the range of isotopic variation within and between these animals. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of both the wild and domesticated Kuelap faunal samples suggest a diet of both C3 and C4 plant foods. Significant dietary differences were identified between domesticated and wild animals (specifically camelid and cervid), suggesting ecological differences or strategic provisioning from possible domestic C4 crops (maize) by humans. The domesticated camelids displayed a large isotopic variation similar to other highland archaeological studies in Peru, with an average δ13C value of –14.13 ‰ and a standard deviation of 2.96. The cervids displayed lower variation than the camelids and had an average carbon value of –19.13 ‰ with a standard deviation of 2.38. These are the first faunal isotopic data for the eastern montane region of Chachapoyas and serve as an essential baseline in the evaluation of human subsistence strategies and animal management strategies in the northern Peruvian highlands. iii “Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.” Winnie-the-Pooh (A.A. Milne) iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I cannot begin to express my sincerest appreciation to all the individuals who provided me with the support, guidance, and confidence I needed to complete this thesis project. A special thank you to my advisor and mentor, Dr. Marla J. Toyne. Dr. Toyne’s support and passion for this project provided me with the motivation to take this project “bird by bird” (or in this case, llama by llama) and to push myself as a student and anthropologist. I must thank my committee members, Dr. Dupras and Dr. Duncan, who supported me throughout my progress and provided me with many perspectives that allowed me to develop my project even further. I would also like to acknowledge the many wonderful peers and friends that I found in my cohort at UCF. I am so grateful for Jaime (S.B.) Rogers, who’s guidance, support, and reassurance with this archaeological study was endless. I am honored to have some of his beautiful figures in my work. I cannot thank the amazing Paige Paulsen enough for her inspiring suggestions and encouragement. Finally, I must thank my family and friends, especially my parents and Jason, for the endless care and patience they had with me while completing this project. This would not have been possible without their love and support. Thank you so much! v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 Purpose of Research .................................................................................................................... 2 Bioarchaeological Approaches ................................................................................................... 2 Stable Isotope Analysis in Bioarchaeology ................................................................................ 3 Zooarchaeological Approaches ................................................................................................... 4 The Sample ................................................................................................................................. 5 Research Questions and Hypotheses .......................................................................................... 7 Chapter Summary ....................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................... 10 The Andes ................................................................................................................................. 10 Geography and Geology ....................................................................................................... 10 Ecological Zones ................................................................................................................... 12 Chachapoya Society .................................................................................................................. 13 Location and Environment .................................................................................................... 13 Chachapoya Culture .............................................................................................................. 14 Subsistence Strategies ........................................................................................................... 15 Animals in the Chachapoyas Region ........................................................................................ 17 Camelidae (Llama or alpaca) ................................................................................................ 18 Cervidae (Deer) ..................................................................................................................... 21 Caviidae (Guinea pig) ........................................................................................................... 22 Chinchillidae (Viscacha) ....................................................................................................... 24 Cuniculidae (Mountain Paca)................................................................................................ 24 Leporidae (Rabbit) ................................................................................................................ 25 Felidae (Puma) ...................................................................................................................... 26 Canidae (Dog or fox) ............................................................................................................ 27 Aves (Small birds) ................................................................................................................ 27 The Archaeological Complex of Kuelap .................................................................................. 28 Location ................................................................................................................................ 28 Site Organization .................................................................................................................. 30 Diet and Animal Remains at Kuelap .................................................................................... 32 Stable Isotope Theory and Applications ................................................................................... 32 Basic Theory and Behavior ................................................................................................... 32 Diet Reconstruction .............................................................................................................. 33 Animal Tissues ...................................................................................................................... 34 Carbon ................................................................................................................................... 34 Nitrogen ...............................................................................................................................