Abstract

CAPRILES F, José M.. Intercambio y uso ritual de fauna por Tiwanaku: Análisis de pelos y fibras de los conjuntos arqueológicos de Amaguaya, Bolivia. Estud. atacam. [online]. 2002, n.23, pp. 33-51. ISSN 0718-1043.  doi: 10.4067/S0718-10432002002300004.

In this article I present the results of the zooarchaeological analysis of two archaeological sets of Tiwanaku (AD 400-1100) artifacts from Amaguaya, Bolivia. These sets are formed by an important quantity of organic elements (e.g. cases and leather bags, textiles and wool fibers). The identification of the entirety of the studied samples was achieved through the microscopic analysis of the hairs and fibers of the archaeological samples and their comparison with samples derived from a reference faunal collection. Excluding the cases that were made with jaguar leather (Phantera onca),the rest of the artifacts were elaborated with skins and fibers of animal species with a local distribution. The Amaguaya sets provide important information about the relationships of exchange and interaction between Tiwanaku and the eastern cordilleran region of the Andes during the Middle Horizon

Keywords : Amaguaya, Bolivia ; fauna ; fibers ; hair ; Tiwanaku ; zooarchaeology.