Sacred Glaciers: Exploring 4000 Year Old Shrines of Camelid Herders in the High Altitudes of the Peruvian Andes

Ceremonies and rituals in herding societies are practices believed to protect herders and their flocks. These rituals also help maintain social reproduction and cope with the uncertainties surrounding flock fertility. This phenomenon has been documented in modern camelid herders in the Andes. Rich ethnohistorical and ethnographic data reveal the significance of worshiping deities, mythical heroes, and ancestral spirits in llama herder communities. However, our understanding of these ceremonies and rites during camelid domestication—when hunter-gatherers transitioned to herding—remains limited. This talk will present findings from a 4,000-year-old ceremonial center that served as a gathering place for small groups of herders in the upper Santa Valley, Peru. We will explore the worship of glaciers personified as megalithic stones believed to help flock fertility and protect herders and their animals.