¿“Neoinca” o colonial? la “muerte” de la arquitectura inca y otros paradigmas

Abstract

"Neo-Inca" or Colonial? The Death of Inca Architecture and other Paradigms

Most indigenous architectural traditions are believed to have ended abruptly with the European invasion of the Americas. In the Andes, scholars have argued that Inca architecture ceased soon after the arrival of the Spaniards and was rapidly replaced with European models. In this paper, I argue that the perceived death of Inca architecture is a false paradigm based on a variety of factors, such as a split in scholarly disciplines, a lack of scholarship on indigenous post contact architecture, and —most importantly— naming practices that have carried mistaken assumptions about the past. Focusing on Chinchero, the private estate of Thupa ‘Inka, as a case study, this paper demonstrates that Inca architecture continued well after the Spanish invasion.