image: View from the top of the Huaca Prieta mound in north coastal Peru. The dark Paredones mound can be seen in the near-center of the photo roughly between the two larger and later Moche (400-750 CE) pyramids further in the distance. view more
Credit: Image credit: Tom D. Dillehay.
A study examines diet differences in ancient northern Peru. Early human diets affected regional economies, however, the food consumption practices of pre-Hispanic communities in the Central Andes are not well understood. To determine ancient diets in Huaca Prieta and Paredones--two sites in north coastal Peru dating to approximately 7,500 to 4,000 years ago--Tiffiny Tung, Larisa R. G. DeSantis, and colleagues analyzed teeth from the remains of 21 individuals excavated from Huaca Prieta and nine individuals excavated from Paredones. Although Huaca Prieta and Paredones are only a few hundred meters apart, their communities had significantly different diets. Isotopic analyses revealed that Paredones children primarily consumed maize--likely in the form of a beverage or gruel during the weaning period--suggesting that early uses of maize were influenced by breastfeeding mothers. Dental microwear analyses demonstrated that the diets of Paredones adults were high in abrasives, likely from maize and foods prepared on grinding stones. The diets of Huaca Prieta children and adults were primarily composed of soft food from nonmaize plants and marine resources, such as fish and sea lions. Compared with Huaca Prieta children, Paredones children exhibited greater consumption of maize and terrestrial meat. The findings suggest that diet differences in ancient communities in close proximity may have created opportunities for resource exchange and economic specialization, according to the authors.
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Article #20-09121: "Early specialized maritime and maize economies on the north coast of Peru," by Tiffiny A. Tung, Tom D. Dillehay, Robert S. Feranec, and Larisa R. G. DeSantis.
MEDIA CONTACT: Tiffiny Tung, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; tel: 615-775-3899; e-mail: <t.tung@vanderbilt.edu>; Larisa DeSantis, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; tel: 203-494-0442; e-mail: <larisa.desantis@vanderbilt.edu>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences