Hacia la comprensión del fenómeno Huari: una perspectiva norteña

Abstract

Understanding the Huari Phenomenon: A Northern Perspective

The lack of large scale storage in Huari sites contradicts the interpretation of Huari as an empire modeled on the Inca empire. We highlight the fact that at the end of Middle Horizon 1B, the Huari phenomenon was focused on an ancestor cult. In part, this cult was derived from northern antecedents, and we review data from Huamachuco that document the roots of the cult. Two architectural forms from Huamachuco, long narrow galleries that served as living space and niched halls that served as places in which to feast the ancestors, were the models for the orthogonal cellular architecture of Middle Horizon 1B at Huari. Although evidence does not support the interpretation of Huari as a state that expanded by the use of military force, Huari did play a critical role in the synthesis and diffusion of ideas that resulted a profound reorganization of the social landscape.