Llamas, herders and the exploitation of raw materials in the Atacama Desert

Abstract South American camelid societies and human societies have coexisted over a long period of time in the Andes. The archaeological sites considered here are located in the Atacama Desert and cover a period from c. 5,000 years ago to c. 1,500 years ago. This time span saw changes in resource exploitation and the adoption of pastoralism. Camelids provide humans with important raw materials, and the question of what difference owning one's animals over hunting wild camelids should have on the exploitation of raw materials, particularly fleece, is examined in the context of the Atacama environment.