Coastal Andean Featherwork – When Birds and Mammals Come Together . Diane Newbury Department of Anthropology, UWM / Museum Studies Certificate Program, UWM & MPM Introduction Research Methods Results to Date The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) has a collection of approximately 150 featherwork artifacts from South Coastal Peru which are unfortunately devoid of more detailed provenience. Accession records indicate only the general location terms of “south Coast, Peru.” There are few other diagnostic artifacts associated with the featherworked collection as it was assembled from mixed proveniences by an art collector prior to being donated to the museum. My thesis concerns the research potential of such artifacts, including the detailed analysis of their source material and style of manufacture. In the process of examining each of these items to identify their constituent parts I found that eight feathered artifacts incorporate a unique and as yet unidentified type of mammal hair and skin. Multiple approaches were used in the effort to identify the mammalian fur used on these artifacts. The artifacts are composed of 3-5 rings or rows of feather braids attached to a short, slender wooden stick by means of wrapped cotton yarns, strips of furred animal skin, or both. The individual hairs of the fur are consistently between 9 to 13 centimeters in length, predominantly dark with some grizzled white shafts, and a consistency that is not limp or soft, yet is pliable. Microscopic comparisons of scale patterns and medullar structure: I completed side-by-side microscopic comparisons of individual hair strands of the artifact fur to strand structures obtained from both living and taxidermied animals. Living specimens included Llama (Camelidae) fur obtained from Animal Acres Llamas, as well as Spectacled Andean Bear (Tremarctos) and Two-Toed Sloth (Megalonychidae) fur samples examined on premises at the Racine Zoo. Taxidermied specimens included Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta seniculus) from the MPM mammalian collection. Gross morphology: I studied the gross morphology of the skin and fur under reflective binocular microscopes (25X-100X). Microscopic study of the artifact fur: Using both reflected and transmitted light microscopes (100X-400X) I viewed the internal structure (medulla and cortex) and cuticle surface (scale pattern) of individual hairs. The scale pattern appeared Imbricated or Mosaic in form (Chart, Section A). The medulla filled a large portion of the hair and had a visible structure although quite variable between samples. (Microscopic views below.) Taxa eliminated by direct microscopic side-by-side comparison of hair structures, scale patterns, and medullas with those of the artifact fur. Llama (Camelidae) Spectacled Andean Bear (Tremarctos), Two-Toed Sloth (Megalonychidae) Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta seniculus) Taxa examined by The US Fish and Wildlife analysts and compared to the archaeological samples : Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos) Coati (Nasua) Crab-eating Raccoon (Procyon cancrivous) Kinkajou (Potos flavus) Sloths (Choloepus, Bradypus, and extinct forms) Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga) Tamanuda (Tamandua) Coyote (Canis latrans) Dog (Canis familiaris) Cougar (Puma concolor) Bonnie Yates summarized her analysis accordingly: “The hairs are very degraded and most of the microscopic structures are either gone, obliterated, or autolyzed beyond recognition. The medullary index is the best feature, and it definitely is too narrow to be Tremarctos; it fits Procyon and Canis familiaris best, as does pigmentation where it is preserved.” Potential Inferences / Future Avenues of Research Further research avenues remain. These include exploring extinct and extant mammals of Peru and South America with emphasis on raccoons (Procyon), canids (Canis), and species not yet included in the comparative samples. Literature reviews to date have not revealed the identification of other significant mammals either archaeologically or ethnohistorically to compare to the specific fur under investigation. Additional scholarly literature will be explored. The aspects of similar color choices between multiple artifacts suggest that some of these objects may have been intended for use together. The fact that so many appear to have been intentionally broken may indicate a burial practice or an object “killing” ritual. Further study of these unique fur-and-feather artifacts may add to our understanding of the role of different animals in featherwork in particular and in Pre-Columbian burial and ritual practices in general. Animal Hair I dentification Flow Chart (Petraco and Kubic 2004:Figure 13.10) Microscopic view (400X) of scale pattern Two feather-and-fur artifacts at MPM. (Acc18046/Cat52202-52203 – Photo: Diane Newbury) I have identified at least two other museums with very similar artifacts in their collections, also constructed with what appears to be the same mammalian fur.. The American Museum of Natural History in New York houses six similar artifacts, which I was able to study in person. An artifact at The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in Germany also appears to include similar unidentified fur. Microscopic view (100X) of medulla and cortex Close up of fur on a feather-and-fur artifact at MPM. (Photo :Diane Newbury.) Consultation with United States Fish and Wildlife (USFW): Two archaeologists / fur specialists, Bonnie Yates and Barry Baker, of the U.S. National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Morphology Section, Ashland, Oregon, studied samples of the artifact fur and through comparative studies of medulla and cortex hair structures eliminated a number of species. While the results were not conclusive, they suggested two potential species as possible candidates for the artifact fur. Conclusions: Yates and Baker did not include scale structure in their analysis. It is of value to note that raccoon (Procyon) has a more distinct petal-shaped scale structure (Chart, Section B), which does not match the scale pattern of the artifact fur. This suggests that raccoon may be a less likely candidate, and dog is the best potential match thus far. Literature Cited Acknowledgments Petraco, Nicholas, and Thomas Kubic 2004 Color atlas and manual of microscopy for criminalists, chemists, and conservators. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Jean Hudson – UWM Dawn Scher Thomae – MPM Christine Del Re – MPM Bonnie Yates and Barry Baker – USFW For further information Diane Newbury dnewbury@uwm.edu Feather-and-fur artifact at AMNH in New York. (Cat# 4101333 – Photo: Diane Newbury) Additional Notes of Interest: A number of the artifacts are quite similar in feather braid structures, color choices, and overall construction. This may suggest iconic significance to the colors or source animals and their combination, or a closely shared knowledge of craft linked to particular crafters or regions. On approximately 2/3 of these artifacts the sticks are broken, often underlying the intact yarn and fur wrapping. This may suggest intentional breakage of symbolic significance at the end of the use-life of the artifact. Tiffany Pierce and zookeepers – Racine Zoo Barb Parsons – Animal Acres Llamas Neil Luebke, Wendy Christensen-Senk, and Valerie Davis – MPM Vanessa Muros – UCLA