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Trophy cat head: part of a costume?

We also found this little guy during excavations at Uraca, in a cache of 3 of the trophy heads from Sector II. The posterior portions of the skull are missing and broken off just like the human heads, and the eyes were extracted and stuffed with cotton and then a red textile so that they appear to be flaming. We don't have an official species id yet, but suspect this is a pampas cat, which is indigenous to the area and is commonly depicted in coastal Peruvian ceramics, often along with human trophy heads. We think this head might have once been attached to a headdress or hat and that it would have been worn as a ritual costume, signifying power and prestige.


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About This Project

Human trophy taking was common in Southern Peru around 500-800 AD, but was it caused by environmental stress or the rise of the militaristic Wari Empire? Did Wari attack communities in Arequipa (S. Peru), or did Wari influence reach the area through trade? Sr and Pb isotope analysis will allow us to determine whether trophy victims from Uraca were locals or foreigners answering whether Wari was in the region, and who Uraca’s enemies were- local neighbors, Wari conquerors, or other tribes from afar?

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