A view of Wari research: paradigms and perspectives on the Middle Horizon

Abstract

In this introductory article, the history of Wari studies is summarized in brief terms. The urban site of Huari is considered, including evidence for its occupation prior to the Middle Horizon, and spatial patterning of Middle Horizon architectural remains. While the hinterland around Huari has received some attention, there is still much to be learned about the heartland of the Wari polity. Most research devoted to Wari has occurred in the provincial regions, primarily at sites exhibiting distinctive Wari forms of architecture and material culture. Regional surveys data complement these excavations and reveal the effects of Wari expansionon the local political and economic landscapes. Current interpretations of Wari balance the accumulation of new data and the waxing and waning of different interpretative scenarios. It argued that Wari must be viewed holistically, not from the perspective of a single site or region, that the material evidence for imperial control can be elusive, and that our data are still far from complete. It is concluded that the extant data support the interpretation that Wari was an early attempt at empire–building, and that it imposed its mosaic of control over many regions of the Central Andes.