Chiribaya Dog

Mummies

The dogs were found buried in cemeteries alongside 42 human mummies of the Chiribaya culture, which flourished on the Ilo District, Moquegua Region, on the southern coast of Peru. The society buried their pets with honors as faithful friends and co-workers. Anthropologist Sonia Guillén, who specializes in ancient mummies from the Chachapoyas to the shores of Moquegua, led the research. The mummies date from the late middle period, c. 900 to 1350 CE.

The Mallqui Center in Ilo, named from the Quechua word for mummy, studies Chiribaya culture. The extremely dry soil with high nitrate content preserved the remains. Guillén argues that a person's tomb reflects their social, political, and religious position; the dogs' tombs suggest they received good treatment after a productive life. Journalist and filmmaker Martha Meier Miró Quesada recorded the findings, producing a 2006 documentary titled El Perro Pastor Chiribaya.

Features

Ermanno Maniero, president of the Kennel Club of Peru, and veterinary doctor Viviana Fernández of the National University of San Marcos examined the mummies. They determined the dogs were short-legged, longer than tall, with hair colors varying between yellow and red, some with dark spots on the back or head. They had cropped ears and falls, and hare-like feet for moving on sand or soil. The BBC reported the dog was small, with a long snout, beige color, long fur, and resembled a small Golden Retriever.

Grazing

The Chiribayas developed a coastal economy using fishing and marine resources, along with agriculture and intensive livestock use. Textiles and petroglyphs depict llama-focused livestock activity, highlighting the importance of the herding dog. Geneticist Jane Wheeler studied llama and alpaca remains in the middle valley of Ilo, finding that the Chiribayas raised a llama with the longest, finest hair, which Spanish conquerors used as pack animals, causing its demise. Sonia Guillén noted that with many llamas, the Chiribayas needed herding dogs, which became co-workers honored in death.

Lineage

Researchers initially hypothesized that descendants of the Chiribaya dogs remain today, supported by similarity between the mummies and dogs in Ilo port, Tambo Valley, and Mollendo. The watchdog Abdul at the Mallqui Center, with yellow fur, drooping ears, and short snout, matched the mummies' characteristics. Martha Meier noted that local chusco dogs match known Chiribaya traits, suggesting the breed may have spread throughout Peru. She proposed gathering DNA from Ilo dogs for comparison with the mummies, then beginning selection and aging to regain breed purity. A study of mitochondrial DNA found three haplotypes, two previously unknown.