Earth, Water, Fleece, And Fabric: An Ethnography And Archaeology Of Andean Camelid Herding Ethnography And Archaeology Of Andean Camelid Herding Andean Camelid Herding

Through a richly detailed examination of the practices of spinning yarn from the fleece of llamas and alpacas, __Earth, Water, Fleece and Fabric__ explores the relationship that herders of the present and of the past have maintained with their herd animals in the Andes. Dransart juxtaposes an ethnography of an Aymara herding community, based on more than ten years fieldwork in Isluga in the Chilean highlands, with archaeological material from excavations in the Atacama desert.Impeccably researched, this book is the first systematic study to set the material culture of pastoral communities against an understanding of the long-term effects of herding practices. This Book Is The First Systematic Study To Set The Material Culture Of Pastoral Communities Against An Understanding Of The Long-term Effects Of Herding Practices. It Offers Insights Into Understanding Gender Relations Among The Herders, Who Establish The Working Relationships With Their Animals That Enable Them To Produce Yarns And Fabrics, While Also Adopting A Dynamic Perspective On Studying Technical Changes That Have Occurred In Textile Production In The Andes.--jacket. 1. Threads Through Time -- 2. Camelids, Land And Water In The South-central Andes -- 3. Caring For Herd Animals In Isluga -- 4. Flowers Of The Herds: The Waynu Ceremony In Isluga -- 5. The Transformation Of Fleece Into Yarn -- 6. Historical Perspectives On Herding Technology -- 7. The Emergence Of Herding Societies In The Atacama -- 8. The Yarns And Fabrics Of Tulan Societies -- 9. Conclusions: Earth, Water, Fleece, And Fabric. Penelope Z. Dransart. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [281]-301) And Index. Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 List of plates......Page 8 List of figures......Page 10 List of tables......Page 12 Preface......Page 14 1 Threads through time......Page 20 2 Camelids, land and water in the South-Central Andes......Page 34 3 Caring for herd animals in Isluga......Page 66 4 Flowers of the herds: the wayñu ceremony in Isluga......Page 101 5 The transformation of fleece into yarn......Page 120 6 Historical perspectives on herding technology......Page 146 7 The emergence of herding societies in the Atacama......Page 174 8 The yarns and fabrics of Tulan societies......Page 220 9 Conclusions: earth, water, fleece and fabric......Page 255 Appendix......Page 265 Glossary......Page 284 Notes......Page 290 Bibliography......Page 300 Index......Page 321 Through a richly detailed examination of the practices of spinning yarn from the fleece of llamas and alpacas, Earth, Water, Fleece and Fabric explores the relationship that herders of the present and of the past have maintained with their herd animals in the Andes. Dransart juxtaposes an ethnography of an Aymara herding community, based on more than ten years fieldwork in Isluga in the Chilean highlands, with archaeological material from excavations in the Atacama desert. Impeccably researched, this book is the first systematic study to set the material culture of pastoral communities against an understanding of the long-term effects of herding practices. "This book is the first systematic study to set the material culture of pastoral communities against an understanding of the long-term effects of herding practices. It offers insights into understanding gender relations among the herders, who establish the working relationships with their animals that enable them to produce yarns and fabrics, while also adopting a dynamic perspective on studying technical changes that have occurred in textile production in the Andes."--BOOK JACKET. Through a richly detailed examination of the practices of spinning yarn from the fleece of llamas and alpacas, this title explores the relationships that herders have maintained with their herd animals in the Andes This book explores the relationships maintained between human beings and their herd animals through that most fundamental of human activities, the spinning of yarn from fleece.