History of Alpacas
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Alpacas are becoming a hot commodity for investors. What are alpacas? Find out where they come from.
You might have heard a lot about them in the media recently, but what is an alpaca? Alpacas are herd animals that are similar looking to llamas. However, alpacas are different in that they are considered to be one of the easiest livestock animals to care for. They are naturally neat; alpaca herds choose one area of land as their communal dung pile. Plus, alpacas are very intelligent, making them easy to train. Alpacas are friendly, quiet animals, who only produce a soft humming noise, so there is need to worry about alpacas disturbing the peace of the area.
The most prominent origin of the alpaca animal is South America. In ancient Andean mythology, the alpaca was associated with the goddess, “Pachmana,” the Earth Mother. People from the Andes mountains in South America believed that alpacas were loaned to humans, to be left here on earth, with the stipulation that the alpacas were to be well cared for. This legend states that the alpaca was given as a gift at the mountain Ausangate in Peru.
When Spanish Conquistadors came to Peru, they found the Inca civilization, who used the alpaca as their mode of survival. The Alpaca fiber was so strong, it could be used for almost anything. Roofs, bridges, and of course clothing was made from alpaca fiber, woven tightly together. The alpaca fiber was so valuable in the Incan society, that the fiber was even used as their form of currency. Soldiers in the army were paid with alpaca textiles. Whether the alpaca was really given as a gift to humans on mount Ausangate or not, the Incan civilization could not have survived without alpacas.
Today, modern technology has given us many other materials to use for bridges and roofs, but the Alpaca fiber is still highly valuable with the incredible warmth it provides as clothing. Alpaca fiber is so warm because of the natural air pockets in the fiber, which hold in heat. It is stronger that merino wool, and comes in a great variety of colors. Plus, its natural sheen gives the wool a beauty that distinguishes alpaca fiber from all other types of wool, making it highly valuable in the fashion industry.
Whether you are interested in starting your own alpaca farm and breeding alpacas, or just simply finding some gloves and sweaters made from alpaca fiber, any investment into alpaca fiber is an investment well made. Ancient societies could not have survived without them, and with our knowledge of the alpaca history, we can still take advantage of all the wonders of Alpacas.
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