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Archaeological evidence points to the existence of a
llama/alpaca-like camelid roaming the plains of North America as early
as 40 million years ago. Theory suggests that the last ice age forced
some of these camelid ancestors southward to South America. This
population theoretically evolved into modern guanaco and vicuña, which
have since been domesticated into today’s llamas and alpacas,
respectively. Other ancient camelids theoretically migrated from North
America, across the Bearing Sea, to Asia, and evolved into modern
camels.
Now native to South America, archaeologists have found documentation
of Alpacas in drawings on the walls of caves found high in the Andes
Mountains dating back at least 5,000 years. The ancient Incan people
believed alpacas were provided as a gift from the Earth Mother. An
Incan family’s wealth was closely tied to their alpaca herd, and
alpacas were often used as legal tender. Historians have suggested that
ancient Incan culture maintained camelid breeding programs, and
selected and sorted herds of alpacas according to desired colors and
characteristics. Some scientists and archaeologists believe alpacas may
be some of the oldest known domesticated livestock that were bred for
specific desirable qualities.
When the Spanish invaded South America in the 1530’s, valuable land
was taken from the Incans to raise merino sheep. The Spanish did not
realize the finer qualities of alpaca fiber and instead forced the
herds and their shepherds higher into the Altiplano of the Andes
Mountains, becoming “second rate citizens” of South America. This
forced migration into the Altiplano correlated in a loss of the
sophisticated husbandry and herd management techniques that had been
developed by the ancient Incan People. The harsh living conditions of
the Altiplano, in conjunction with these lost techniques invariably
caused the decline in the quality of alpaca fiber.
Until its re-discovery by Sir Titus Salt of London England in the
mid-1800’s, alpaca fiber was a well-kept Incan secret. Sir Titus’s
research led to the discovery that alpaca fiber was stronger than
sheep’s wool and that its strength did not diminish with the fineness
of the fiber. Alpaca textiles made in Europe at that time were well
known for their softness and lustrous qualities. The primary
end-product for alpaca fiber at this time was women’s dresses.
The first large-scale Alpacas importation to the United States from Chile and
Bolivia occured in 1983. The export of live alpacas from Peru was illegal until
1991 and is still restricted today. However, by 1993 Peruvian Alpaca Stock
was allowed into the United States. Alpaca fleece is a highly guarded
resource in Peru today and as a result exports of alpaca breeding stock
is restricted by both the government and the people who regard them as
the primary resource for clothing and income.
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