Encounter and the foundation of Wari statecraft

Abstract

In this work, we examine the role of public gatherings at various scales in the Wari colony in Moquegua, Perú (AD 600-1000). We argue that the role of feasting changed significantly with the expansion of the Wari and Tiwanaku polities, and involved multiple venues and numerous types of congregations. Our evidence stems from research at two main sites, Cerro Baúl and Cerro Mejía, and we compare feasting contexts at both sites, arguing that public gathering was fundamental at multiple scales and in many different venues. By examining both locales of production and locales of consumption, we elucidate the specialization in facilities in different contexts, as well as the roles different members of society played in the production of feasts. Finally, by comparing the differential access to food stuffs,and the employment of unique foods in certain settings, we address social differentiation in resource access in the Wari colony in Moquegua. We also examine the relationship between cuisine and identity in what was a very cosmopolitan colonial encounter in the south Andean highlands.