Professional Documents
Culture Documents
New archaeozoological evidence for the introduction of the guinea pig to Europe
Fabienne Pigire a, *, Wim Van Neer a, b, Ccile Ansieau c, Marceline Denis d
a
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 Rue Vautier, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity and Systematics, Ch. Debriotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
c
Service Public de Wallonie, DGO-4, Service de lArchologie (Hainaut), Place du Bguinage 16, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
d
Recherches et Prospections Archologiques en Wallonie asbl, rue A. Jottard 19, B-5300 Andenne, Belgium
b
a r t i c l e i n f o
a b s t r a c t
Article history:
Received 24 February 2011
Received in revised form
23 November 2011
Accepted 25 November 2011
The remains are described of a guinea pig dated to the end of the 16th e beginning of the 17th c. AD. The
animal was discovered at a site in Mons, Belgium, and is the rst European archaeozoological nd dated with
certainty on the basis of both the archaeological context and a radiocarbon dating of its bone. This nd
conrms that the guinea pig was introduced to Europe soon after the conquest of South America. The
morphological and metrical analyses performed on the skeletal remains are in agreement with the iconographic and literary sources indicating the domestic status of the animals imported to Europe. While
a previous discovery in England suggested that the guinea pig was a prestigious animal, the present study
argues that it was accessible to several classes of the population which may be related to the rapid spread of
this prolic animal after its introduction in Europe.
2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Archaeozoology
Cavia
Post-medieval times
Domestication
Stable isotopes
Social classes
may have started in the Andes as early as 5000 BC, and that it was well
established there by 2500 BC (Morales, 1994, 130; Sandweiss and
Wing, 1997, 47). The animal was an important source of meat for
the Amerindian peoples (Morales, 1994), who also used them as
sacricial animals in religious ceremonies (Sandweiss and Wing,
1997). When the Spaniards arrived in South America in the rst
half of the 16th century, they found guinea pigs exhibiting the colour
polymorphism typical of the domestic form (Weir, 1974, 444).
The fast propagation of the domestic form is illustrated by the
fact that, in 1547, Oviedo mentioned the presence in Santo Domingo
of an animal called cori, which appears to correspond to the guinea
pig (Cabrera, 1953, quoted by Mller-Haye, 1984, 255). Since the
guinea pigs are not indigenous to the Caribbean, the Spaniards must
have brought in the animals from Peru which they conquered in
1532. It is believed that the guinea pig was also introduced to Spain
soon after the conquest of Peru. Then, the animal would have
quickly spread throughout Europe. The Swiss naturalist scientist
Konrad Gesler described the guinea pig in his Historia Animalium
already as early as 1554 (Benecke, 1994, 438). It is likely that
multiple introductions occurred since also Dutch navigators seem to
have played a role in the import of the animal to Europe from the
16th century AD onwards (Wagner and Manning, 1976, 2).
Archaeological data providing insight into the chronology of
guinea pig introduction to Europe are still very rare. Thus far only two
archaeological discoveries, both from England, have been reported
that do not represent recently buried pets. A partial skeleton has been
1021
Fig. 2. The partial skeleton of the guinea pig from Mons, Belgium. The scale bar is 1 cm.
1022
Table 1
Measurements (in mm) on the skull and post-cranial elements of the guinea pig from
Mons compared to those of a female, domestic specimen from the RBINS modern
collection. The measuring distances are those dened by von den Driesch (1976).
Mons
98083M01
Skull
1
3
4
9
13
63.8
57.5
36.1
16.2
24.6
65.5
59.0
e
16.9
27.9
Scapula
HS
SLC
GLP
LG
BG
(37.1)
4.9
8.0
6.5
5.0
37.0
4.9
7.6
6.1
4.6
Humerus
GL
GLC
Bp
Dp
SD
Bd
38.1
37.0
8.0
9.5
3.1
7.8
39.4
38.0
9.0
9.9
3.2
7.2
Radius
GL
Bp
SD
Bd
31.1
4.9
2.5
5.1
30.6
4.4
2.3
4.8
Ulna
GL
SDO
DPA
40.0
4.2
4.1
39.0
4.1
4.9
Pelvis
SC
LAR
5.0
6.1
5.1
5.9
Tibia
GL
Bp
SD
Bd
46.9
9.0
3.0
5.5
47.5
9.8
3.1
5.8
Table 2
Skull characteristics of the guinea pig from Mons compared to those of the domestic and wild taxa listed by Wing (1977).
Naso-frontal suture
Domestic (n 9)
Cavia tschudii (n 40)
Cavia porcellus anolaimae (n 15)
Cavia aperea (n 9)
Mons
Fronto-parietal suture
Palatal spine
% straight
% M-shaped
% curved
% straight
% absent
% present
73
36
7
0
X
27
64
93
100
100
26
23
12
X
0
74
77
88
73
68
0
33
X
27
32
100
67
1023
Fig. 4. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio results of the guinea pig of Mons compared to
those of Conchopata (AD 550e1000; Finucane et al., 2006) and PuruchucoHuaquerones (15e16th c. AD; Williams, 2005). The values for hare were obtained
from late Neolithic Pestenacker (Bsl et al., 2006) and early Neolithic Neval ori (Lsch
et al., 2006).
The present research was carried out with the nancial support of
the Service de lArchologie du Service public de Wallonie (DGO4).
The contribution of Wim Van Neer to this paper presents research
results of the Interuniversity Attraction Poles Programme e Belgian
Science Policy. We would like to thank the following colleagues for
providing information: Umberto Albarella (University of Shefeld),
Ccile Callou (Musum National dHistoire Naturelle, Paris), Simon
Davis (IGESPAR-UNIARQ, Universidade de Lisboa) and Arturo
Morales-Muniz (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid). The line
drawing was made by Anne-Marie Wittek (ADIA-RBINS).
References
Ansieau, C., Denis, M., 2009. Fouilles prventives dune parcelle sise Mons, rue
Jean Lescarts (Ht.). Archaeologia Mediaevalis 32, 81e84.
Benecke, N., 1994. Der Mensch und Seine Haustiere. Die Geschichte Einer Jahrtausendealten Beziehung. Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart.
Bsl, C., Grupe, G., Peters, J., 2006. A Late Neolithic vertebrate food web based on
stable isotope analyses. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 16, 296e315.
Brothwell, D., 1983. Why on earth the guinea-pig? In: Proudfoot, B. (Ed.), Site,
Environment and Economy. BAR International Series, Oxford, pp. 115e119.
Callou, C., Baly, I., Gargominy, O., Rieb, E., 2011. National inventory of natural
heritage website. Recent, historical, and archaeological data. The SAA Archaeological Record 11 (1), 37e40.
Delaunay, P., 1962. La Zoologie au seizime sicle. Hermann, Paris.
Denis, M., 2008. Fouille archologique prventive. Mons, rue Jean Lescarts, Rapport
interne indit pour le Service public de Wallonie (DG04), 70 pp.
Dunnum, J.L., Salazar-Bravo, J., 2010. Molecular systematics, taxonomy and biogeography of the genus Cavia (Rodentia: Caviidae). Journal of Zoological
Systematics and Evolutionary Research 48 (4), 376e388.
Finucane, B., Maita Agurto, P., Isbell, W.H., 2006. Human and animal diet at Conchopata,
Peru: stable isotope evidence for maize agriculture and animal management
practices during the Middle Horizon. Journal of Archaeological Science 33,
1766e1776.
Hamilton-Dyer, S., 2009. Animal bones. In: Dury, P., Simpson, R. (Eds.), Hill Hall; A
Singular House Devised by a Tudor Intellectual. Society of Antiquaries/EH
monograph, London, pp. 345e351.
Herre, W., Rhrs, M., 1990. Haustiere e Zoologisch Gesehen. Gustav Fischer Verlag,
Stuttgart, New York.
1024
IJzereef, G.F., 1978. Faunal remains from El Abra rock shelters (Colombia).
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 25, 163e177.
Lauwerier, R.C.G.M., de Vries, L.S., 2004. Lifting the Iceberg. BoneInfo and the battle
to save archaeological information. In: Lauwerier, R.C.G.M., Plug, I. (Eds.), The
Future from the Past. Archaeozoology in Wildlife Conservation and Heritage
Management. Oxbow books, Oxford, pp. 167e175.
Lsch, S., Grupe, G., Peters, J., 2006. Stable isotopes and dietary adaptations in
humans and animals at pre-pottery Neolithic Neval ori, southeast Anatolia.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology 131, 181e193.
Morales, E., 1994. The guinea pig in the Andean economy: from household animal to
market commodity. Latin American Research Review 29 (3), 129e142.
Morris, J., 2010. Explorations in Anatomy; the Faunal Remains from the Royal
London Hospital , in BoneCommons Item #1402. http://alexxandrieaarchive.
org/bonecommons/items/show/1402 (accessed 14.10.10.).
Mller-Haye, B., 1984. Guinea-pig or cuy. In: Mason, I.L. (Ed.), Evolution of
Domesticated Animals. Longman, London, New York, pp. 252e257.
Pirard, Ch, 2006. Mons au l des sicles, La ville du VIIe sicle 1861. In:
Isaac, M.Th. (Ed.), Images de Mons en Hainaut du XVIe au XIXe sicle 121e132.
Regnard, M., 2007. Rapport historique des fouilles de la rue Jean Lescarts Mons.
Premire phase: 1700e1816, Rapport interne indit pour le Service public de
Wallonie (DG04), 10 pp.
Rood, J.P., Weir, B.J., 1970. Reproduction in female wild guinea-pigs. Journal of
Reproduction and Fertility 23, 393e409.
Sandweiss, D.H., Wing, E., 1997. Ritual rodents: the guinea pigs of Chincha, Peru.
Journal of Field Archaeology 24 (1), 47e58.
Spotorno, A.E., Marn, J.C., Manrquez, G., Valladares, J.P., Rico, E., Rivas, C., 2006.
Ancient and modern steps during the domestication of guinea pigs
(Cavia porcellus L.). Journal of Zoology 270 (1), 57e62.
Spotorno, A.E., Manriquez, G., Fernandez, L.A., Marn, J.C., Gonzalez, F., Wheeler, J.,
2007. Domestication of guinea pigs from a southern Peru-northern Chile wild
species and their middle Pre-Columbian mummies. In: Kelt, D.A., Lessa, E.P.,
Salazar-Bravo, J., Patton, J.L. (Eds.), The Quintessential Naturalist: Honoring the
Life and Legacy of Oliver P.P. Pearson. Univ Cal Pubs Zool, Berkeley, Los Angeles,
and London, pp. 1e981.
Valdez, L.M., Valdez, J.E., 1997. Reconsidering the archaeological rarity of guinea pig
bones in the Central Andes. Current Anthropology 38, 896e898.
von den Driesch, A., 1976. A guide to the measurements of animal bones from
archaeological sites. Peabody Museum Bulletin 1, 1e137.
Wagner, J., Manning, P.,1976. The Biology of the Guinea Pig. Academic Press, New York.
Weir, B.J., 1974. Notes on the origin of guinea-pig. In: Rowlands, I.W., Weir, B.J.
(Eds.). The Biology of Hystricomorph Rodents, vol. 34. Symposia of the
Zoological Society of London, pp. 437e446.
Williams, J.S., 2005. Investigating diet and dietary change using the stable isotopes
of carbon and nitrogen in mummied tissues from Puruchuco-Huaquerones,
Peru. Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary.
Wing, E., 1977. Animal domestication in the Andes. In: Reed, C.A. (Ed.), Origins of
Agriculture. Mouton Publishers, The Hague, pp. 837e859.
Woods, C., 2005. Suborder Hystricognathi. In: Wilson, D.E., Reeder, D.M. (Eds.),
Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., pp. 771e806.