Big Voices and Little Voices of Public Forums in Andean Discourse

Abstract

This essay consider several themes related to public gatherings that require more attention by archaeologists. These are (1) the relations between elites and non-elites in public events, (2) what public gatherings indicate about the societies sponsoring them, (3) the social pluralism of public encounters and their wider context and meaning, and (4) some material correlates of public gatherings. Also considered briefly are some theoretical and methodological issues in Andean ethnography and ethnohistory that have relevance to public gatherings and their analogical value in archaeology. Examples from Peru and Chile are employed to demonstrate several points.