Andean Llama Domestication and Use

Timeline

1. c. -3500–-500Central Peruvian highlands · PeruArchaeological sites show early peoples selectively breeding tame llamas from wild guanacos, developing pen herding, selective breeding, and fiber processing; llamas became pack animals and wool livestock adapted to high-altitude, low-oxygen environments.
2. 500–1200Highlands around Tiwanaku · BoliviaTiwanaku and the succeeding Wari culture expanded camelid herds, established long-distance pack networks, made llama-wool textiles ceremonial and trade goods, and spread herding techniques into northern Chile and northwestern Argentina.
3. 1400–1532Imperial herding districts of Cusco · PeruBetween 1391 and 1400, as the Inca integrated the Andean highlands, the state established official herds (collca) to manage llama breeding, wool supply, and military transport; llamas played a core role in the road system and storehouse logistics until shortly before the Spanish conquest.
4. 1600Highlands of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile · AndesThe introduction of horses, cattle, and sheep in the colonial period sharply reduced llama numbers, though indigenous communities maintained small-scale herding; in the 20th century international demand for llama wool revived, with breeding associations and fair-trade programs driving breed improvement, while llama tourism and handicrafts became new economic forms.