Leyendo el registro arqueológico del dominio inka: reflexiones desde la costa norte del Perú

Abstract

Reading the Material Record of Inka Rule: Perspectives from the North Coast of Perú

The Peruvian north coast was an area rich in people and resources that was conquered by the Inka in ca. 1470. The Inka presence in the north coast has been difficult to define archaeologically because of the relative absence of architecture and objects following Cuzco canons as well as the apparent conservatism or persistence of north coastal styles, which have hampered efforts to define a chronology of the late prehispanic period. Despite these problems, fieldwork at local centers and state installations has revealed increasing evidence for the impact of Inka rule on north coastal political and economic organization. In addition, research at Inka pottery manufacturing locations has shown that potters recruited to work for the state made vessels in both local and Inka styles using local techniques. These practices are arguably linked to the use and meaning of different kinds of objects by the state, as well as Inka policies of labor recruitment and the maintenance of ethnic markers. By examining the complex relationship between style and polity, we improve our understanding of Inka rule and as well as our ability to decipher the Inka archaeological record.