# Domestication of the llama and alpaca (c. 4,500 BCE)

URL: https://allhistories.com/peru/timeline/-4500-domestication-of-the-llama-and-alpaca
Location: Junín puna, Junín
Themes: Economy

In the high puna of the central Andes, hunters of wild guanaco and vicuña gradually begin managing and breeding them, producing the domestic llama and alpaca between about 6,000 and 7,000 years ago. Rock shelters in the Junín region show a shift from hunted to herded camelids. Llamas serve as pack animals, while alpacas provide fine wool.

## Why it matters
Camelid herding gave Andean societies transport, wool and meat, underpinning highland economies, textiles and later Inca state logistics.

Ruler at the Time: [Andean and Amazonian peoples](https://allhistories.com/peru/rulers/andean-and-amazonian-peoples)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Llama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llama)
- [Wikipedia — Alpaca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca)
- [Wikipedia — Preceramic (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caral%E2%80%93Supe_civilization)