A Brief History of Alpacas
Alpacas have coexisted with humankind for thousands
of years. The Incan civilization of the Andes Mountains in Peru elevated
the alpaca to a central place in their society. The imperial Incas
clothed themselves in garments made from alpaca and many of their
religious ceremonies involved the animal. Museums throughout the Americas
display textiles made from alpaca fiber.
The Spanish conquistadors failed to see the value
of alpaca fiber, preferring the merino sheep of their native Spain.
For a time, alpaca fiber was a well-kept secret. In the middle 1800's,
Sir Titus Salt of London, England rediscovered alpaca. The newly industrialized
English textile industry was at its zenith when Sir Titus began studying
the unique properties of alpaca fleece. He discovered, for instance,
that alpaca fiber was stronger than sheep's wool and that its strength
did not diminish with fineness of staple. The alpaca textiles he fashioned
from the raw fleece were soft, lustrous, and they soon began making
their mark across Europe. Today, the center of the alpaca textile
industry is in Arequipa, Peru; yarn and other products made from alpaca
are sold primarily in Japan and Europe.
Outside of their native South America, the number
of alpacas found in other countries is extremely limited. In fact,
99 percent of the world's approximately three million alpacas are
found in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.
