AHC/WI: Native Americans get llamas

I didn't even think of that. That also brings to mind how many people would benefit from the fleece keeping them warm and dry at night. Or even simply the added food supplies in lean times of dried meat and cheese.

I also didn't know this... Of course, with larger loads being delivered, possibly on carts and wagons, roads would likely be improved greatly. If they are sufficiently built up, it could lead to a larger empire, spanning further and holding more people.

Sure major factors of convalescence are being well fed, comfortable, and reduce work load. You don’t want to rely on human porters during an epidemic. They get sick and the deliveries stop, being forced to work while sick decrease their chance of recovery, and they themselves transmit disease.
 
I didn't even think of that. That also brings to mind how many people would benefit from the fleece keeping them warm and dry at night. Or even simply the added food supplies in lean times of dried meat and cheese.
The Llama, and alpaca, fleece is a good insulator, It will keep your dry, Warm AND cold all at the same time, the alpaca and llama fleece are great

https://www.cleveland.com/pdrealest...ternative_to_traditional_home_insulation.html


Who know if the llama milk was consumed by the Incas, there a Chronicler that support, and Chronicler that Reject the Consumption of the llama milk in South America.

if you read Spanish

http://revistas.uap.edu.pe/ojs/index.php/CYD/article/viewFile/1184/1160
 
Getting llamas to North America might be among the smaller effects of such exchange, as it implies a powerful trading state along the Darien Gap or instead a thalassocracy along the coast of the Pacific or Atlantic. And llamas aren't the only thing that might be crossing...
 
Around 7th century AD, in OTL, hairless dogs appeared in Moche culture, previously present in Mexico, and copper metallurgy appeared in Western Mexico, previously present in Peru. Both of these remained absent in Central American rainforests.

If llama were introduced to Mexico by overseas contact with Peru in 7th century AD, what might the effects be?
 
Around 7th century AD, in OTL, hairless dogs appeared in Moche culture, previously present in Mexico, and copper metallurgy appeared in Western Mexico, previously present in Peru. Both of these remained absent in Central American rainforests.

If llama were introduced to Mexico by overseas contact with Peru in 7th century AD, what might the effects be?
Enormous, to say the least, there are 700 years to be adopted and widespread use of llama and Alpaca, plus this is even before the Classical Maya Collapse or the Aztec Ascend, I can´t even start to imagine how game changer this could be
 
If they got further north we could see a civilation arise in the Rockies

A more important one, yes, but not a particularly important civilisation in the grand scheme of things. You won't get another Comanche by introducing llama into the Rockies.

The Navajo might be an important winner. Consider how they raided Nuevo México for sheep, and used said sheep to create a major weaving industry. Now they'd either peacefully purchase llama from the Puebloans or another group to the south, or steal the llama instead. Now the Navajo will develop their weaving industry much earlier, and based on llama instead.
 
Correction an Alpaca wool sweater is The Nice one.

Depending on how far the domestic alpaca get, this could have major implications for transatlantic exchange. A wool that is softer and warmer than sheep's wool could be a valuable trade item to Europe-valuable enough to make, say, a trade outpost worth the time and resources of the Greenland Norse.

Getting llamas to North America might be among the smaller effects of such exchange, as it implies a powerful trading state along the Darien Gap or instead a thalassocracy along the coast of the Pacific or Atlantic. And llamas aren't the only thing that might be crossing...

Llamas are interesting, but the potato is a real potential game changer for food security. Looking over its' water requirements its not as superior to maize as I previously thought, but the fact that potatoes fix nitrogen into the soil while providing enough calories to be a staple crop still makes them very useful agriculturally.
 
A more important one, yes, but not a particularly important civilisation in the grand scheme of things. You won't get another Comanche by introducing llama into the Rockies.

The Navajo might be an important winner. Consider how they raided Nuevo México for sheep, and used said sheep to create a major weaving industry. Now they'd either peacefully purchase llama from the Puebloans or another group to the south, or steal the llama instead. Now the Navajo will develop their weaving industry much earlier, and based on llama instead.

It´s so early that we might don´t even get Navajo, Navajo migrate from Canada to Southern USA/Northern Mexico in 1400 A.D., The introduction of the llama and Alpaca in the 700. A.D., the Butterflies are enormous, maybe we don´t see the Mayan collapse, as the llamas could give more food sources and the animals do really well in arid and drought stricken areas Thus a more powerful expansion of the Mayan culture to the north. It could happen that the introduction od the llama in the mesoamerica will mean a stop to the Human sacrifice as the Llama could become the favored sacrificial animal, as is a more scarce resource
 
It´s so early that we might don´t even get Navajo, Navajo migrate from Canada to Southern USA/Northern Mexico in 1400 A.D., The introduction of the llama and Alpaca in the 700. A.D., the Butterflies are enormous, maybe we don´t see the Mayan collapse, as the llamas could give more food sources and the animals do really well in arid and drought stricken areas Thus a more powerful expansion of the Mayan culture to the north. It could happen that the introduction od the llama in the mesoamerica will mean a stop to the Human sacrifice as the Llama could become the favored sacrificial animal, as is a more scarce resource

It was that recent? But the area the Navajo immigrated to and their neighbours is good country for some alt-sheep raising (like llamas provide). It's definitely good the American Indians can get a domesticate other than dogs.

Alpaca are great too, since they basically are like sheep. I have relatives who own a property in rural New England which is down the road from an alpaca farm, so based on the climate there (get out by October), alpaca can thrive in a lot climates. This is definitely great for ethnic groups in the north of the US, where farming is minimal and they need to hunt and gather for additional nutrients. The alpaca (and presumably breeds of llama) can give milk and meat in those periods, plus extra pelts.

The potato is great, obviously, but IIRC indigenous farmers in the US South planted sweet potato, a great crop for the region, but still weren't able to keep a solid civilisation like the Late Mississippians (which collapsed regardless), which seems odd, since sweet potato was historically a very common staple crop in later years which many older Southerners to this day dislike since they consider it a poverty food. So new crops alone don't necessarily bring strength to a particular group.
 
Enormous, to say the least, there are 700 years to be adopted and widespread use of llama and Alpaca, plus this is even before the Classical Maya Collapse or the Aztec Ascend, I can´t even start to imagine how game changer this could be

Not necessarily both llama and alpaca. WI just one of the two?

What the Peruvians did not get OTL was turkeys. What the Mexicans also did not get OTL was guinea swine... but they did get fleas.

Llama is too small to ride but is an useful pack animal. And can use semiarid pastures too dry for reliable maize planting. The Gran Chichimeca of Northern Mexico, next to the wetter Anahuac Valley, would therefore be well fitted to raise llamas for meat. The llamas can then be driven on hoof to the borders of maize-growing Anahuac Valley for slaughter. Like Tollan. Or else they can be slaughtered near the northern end of Anahuac Valley, like Xaltocan, and the meat transported to the farming cities of Lake Texcoco system by boat.
 
Not necessarily both llama and alpaca. WI just one of the two?
in that case Is better an Llama as the Alpaca it's just a Llama breed for wool, so theorically if you have llamas, you could re-create The Alpaca, or something close and Good enough
 
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in that case Is better an Llama as the Alpaca it's just a Llama breed for wool

Actually no. Alpaca is a different species. Like guanaco and vicuna are different species in the wild.

One limitation of North American maize growers was limited supply of meat. The best domesticated meat animal they had was turkey, and it is an omnivore. They could also hunt wild animals, with all its limitations.
Whereas llama is a grazer suited for semiarid pastures, who can be driven on hoof. Which means that the semiarid areas of Northern Mexico can export meat to maize growers of Anahuac valley.
 
Not much of an industry exists for llama milk, they don’t produce a lot and its high in lactose.

Llama manure OTOH is high grade fertilizer. People actually buy this stuff online for gardening.
 
Not much of an industry exists for llama milk, they don’t produce a lot and its high in lactose.
Sounds like you could make cheese or yogurt out of it and maybe get something edible. But that probably requires that people be drinking it in the first place so that they have the opportunity to learn about making cheese or yogurt, so it falls down there.
 
Not much of an industry exists for llama milk, they don’t produce a lot and its high in lactose.

Llama manure OTOH is high grade fertilizer. People actually buy this stuff online for gardening.

Sounds like you could make cheese or yogurt out of it and maybe get something edible. But that probably requires that people be drinking it in the first place so that they have the opportunity to learn about making cheese or yogurt, so it falls down there.
As I put in my previous post We don't know for sure if The Incas drink milk or eat chesee before The Spanish Conquest. We have first Hand accounts,by The Spanish, that the do and first hand accounts that they didn't. So we don't know forfsure.
The llama and alpaca milk Is completly human comsuption appropiate and as abundant as the Camel milk

Here The study in Spanish (direct link download)
http://revistas.uap.edu.pe/ojs/index.php/CYD/article/viewFile/1184/1160

Another one

http://www.dairymoos.com/milk-in-pre-columbian-america/
 
I have some doubts because of the low incidence of lactose tolerance in Native American populations, although I don't know if Andean populations have higher levels than usual. In other populations that were heavily dependent on milk, lactose tolerance became much more common for obvious reasons, so this is rather suggestive to me.
 
I have some doubts because of the low incidence of lactose tolerance in Native American populations, although I don't know if Andean populations have higher levels than usual. In other populations that were heavily dependent on milk, lactose tolerance became much more common for obvious reasons, so this is rather suggestive to me.
Because they weren't llama milk dependent like others populations, by The links I just give you, specially The one in Spanish, ir Clear that llama milk and chesee was a luxury item eating by The nobles, The infirms( The Inca Empire had and extensive social protección system) and Babies. The weren't milk dependent, they have extensive sources of vegetal proteíns, Quinua, Amaranth, peanuts( original from southern bolivia), Cañihua, Tarwi, Maca,.Lima beans, plus The more know potatoes, Maize and Cocoa. They literally could give themselves The Luxury of not use The Llama and Alpaca milk as they have enough sources of proteins
 
As I put in my previous post We don't know for sure if The Incas drink milk or eat chesee before The Spanish Conquest. We have first Hand accounts,by The Spanish, that the do and first hand accounts that they didn't. So we don't know forfsure.
The llama and alpaca milk Is completly human comsuption appropiate and as abundant as the Camel milk

Here The study in Spanish (direct link download)
http://revistas.uap.edu.pe/ojs/index.php/CYD/article/viewFile/1184/1160

Another one

http://www.dairymoos.com/milk-in-pre-columbian-america/

Yes llama milk is nutritious, but they only produce 60ml at a time. You would have to milk several animals to fill a glass. On the plus side, drinking such small amounts mitigate effects of lactose intolerence. But it’s impractical to scale.

Sounds like you could make cheese or yogurt out of it and maybe get something edible. But that probably requires that people be drinking it in the first place so that they have the opportunity to learn about making cheese or yogurt, so it falls down there.

It took thousands of years for people to invent cheese and yogurt, so I’m not optimistic.
 
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