Patrice Lecoq

Caravan Archaeologies Workshop/Taller de Caravanas Arqueológicas

Using ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological data to understand the function and organization of old llama caravans, versus social composition and ritual manifestations.

In much of the Andes, before the road network united the different rural communities to the big cities, barter trips with llama caravans were very important for the shepherd and his family. They allowed him to acquire the consumable products of other regions necessary for his subsistence, and also enriching his heritage. 

These journeys, which even today (although on a smaller scale) extend from village to village and over several ecological zones, express a complex social dynamic and highlight the huge strategies that man uses to take full advantage of the environmental diversity that characterizes the Andes. It also testifies to very ancient historical relations, as shown by the archaeological sites scattered throughout the tracks.
However, these journeys are organized around a series of daily actions, often ritualized and highly codified, that can only be understood through ethnographic records. These are the data we will present.