This article reconstructs the final diet of sacrificed domestic camelids from Huanchaquito-Las Llamas to understand whether feeding was part of the ritual practice. The site is situated on the northern coast of Peru and is dated to the fifteenth century AD (Late Intermediate period; LIP). It was used by the Chimús to kill and bury a large number of camelids, mostly juveniles. We reconstructed the final meal of 11 of the sacrificed individuals by analyzing starch grains derived from the associated gut contents and feces. The starch grains were well preserved and allowed for the determination of five plant taxa. The comparison with previously published and new stable isotope analyses, which provide insights into long-term diet, indicates that the Chimús managed their herds by providing maize as fodder and allowing them to graze on natural pasture; yet they reserved special treatment for sacrificial animals, probably bringing them together a few hours or days before the sacrificial act. We show for the first time the consumption of unusual food products, which included manioc, chili peppers, and beans, as well as cooked foods. Our study provides unique information on Chimú camelid ritual and herding practices.

中文翻译：

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吃与死：在秘鲁万查基托拉斯美洲驼牺牲的奇穆骆驼的最后一餐，淀粉粒分析揭示

本文重构了来自万查基托-拉斯骆驼的牺牲家养骆驼的最终饮食，以了解喂食是否是仪式实践的一部分。该遗址位于秘鲁北部海岸，可追溯到公元 15 世纪（中后期；LIP）。Chimús用它来杀死和埋葬大量的骆驼，其中大部分是幼年。我们通过分析来自相关肠道内容物和粪便的淀粉粒，重建了 11 名牺牲者的最后一餐。淀粉粒保存完好，可用于五种植物分类群的测定。与先前发表的和新的稳定同位素分析相比，这些分析提供了对长期饮食的见解，表明 Chimús 通过提供玉米作为饲料并允许他们在天然牧场上放牧来管理他们的畜群；然而，他们为祭祀动物保留了特殊待遇，可能在祭祀行为发生前几个小时或几天将它们聚集在一起。我们首次展示了不寻常食品的消费情况，包括木薯、辣椒和豆类，以及熟食。我们的研究提供了有关奇穆骆驼仪式和放牧实践的独特信息。