Identification of guinea pig remains in the Pucará de Tilcara (Jujuy, Argentina): Evidence in favour of the presence of the Andean breed in the Quebrada de Humahuaca

A groundbreaking analysis of rodent remains from the Pucará de Tilcara, a significant archaeological site in Argentina's Quebrada de Humahuaca, provides compelling evidence for the presence of domestic guinea pigs—a discovery never before documented in northwestern Argentina. Using anatomical descriptions and geometric morphometric analyses of mandibular remains, researchers confirmed that all identified remains belonged to the Andean breed of domestic guinea pigs (caviines). This study significantly expands our understanding of the distribution and anthropic relationships of caviines in the region, offering new insights into their role in human societies from 1100 AD until the Spanish conquest.

Lopez Geronazzo, L. N., Otero, C., Álvarez, A., Ercoli, M. D., & Cortés‐Delgado, N. (2019). Identification of guinea pig remains in the Pucará de Tilcara (Jujuy, Argentina): Evidence in favour of the presence of the Andean breed in the Quebrada de Humahuaca. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 29(6), 934–946. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.2808