Skip to Content

Sponsors

No results

Keywords

No results

Types

No results

Search Results

Events

No results
Search events using: keywords, sponsors, locations or event type
When / Where
All occurrences of this event have passed.
This listing is displayed for historical purposes.

Presented By: Museum of Anthropological Archaeology

Sacred Glaciers: Exploring 4000 Year Old Shrines of Camelid Herders in the High Altitudes of the Peruvian Andes

Jhon Cruz Quiñones, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Michigan Department of Anthropology

Man wearing black shirt, purple hat and tan pants crouched down on light brown ground using a tool to carefully dig Man wearing black shirt, purple hat and tan pants crouched down on light brown ground using a tool to carefully dig
Man wearing black shirt, purple hat and tan pants crouched down on light brown ground using a tool to carefully dig
Ceremonies and rituals in herding societies are practices believed to protect herders and their flocks. These rituals also help maintain social reproduction and cope with the uncertainties surrounding flock fertility. This phenomenon has been documented in modern camelid herders in the Andes. Rich ethnohistorical and ethnographic data reveal the significance of worshiping deities, mythical heroes, and ancestral spirits in llama herder communities. However, our understanding of these ceremonies and rites during camelid domestication—when hunter-gatherers transitioned to herding—remains limited. This talk will present findings from a 4,000-year-old ceremonial center that served as a gathering place for small groups of herders in the upper Santa Valley, Peru. We will explore the worship of glaciers personified as megalithic stones believed to help flock fertility and protect herders and their animals.
Man wearing black shirt, purple hat and tan pants crouched down on light brown ground using a tool to carefully dig Man wearing black shirt, purple hat and tan pants crouched down on light brown ground using a tool to carefully dig
Man wearing black shirt, purple hat and tan pants crouched down on light brown ground using a tool to carefully dig

Explore Similar Events

  •  Loading Similar Events...

Back to Main Content