Social Complexity in the Central Andean Region: Current Research on the Initial Period and Early Horizon - Part 1

The Initial Period is often considered an outgrowth of trends that first appear in the late Preceramic Period. However, archaeological research shows that the Initial Period was in fact a time of significant cultural dynamism, which included the first appearance of pottery, expansion of agricultural systems and a proliferation of monumental public architecture. Meanwhile, Early Horizon studies have traditionally focused on the Chavin phenomenon, obscuring broader trends in cultural trajectories. This session is aimed at exploring the archaeology of the second and first millennia BC, with a particular focus on recent research undertaken throughout coastal and highland Peru over the last 10 years. Topics that will be addressed in this session include chronology, the emergence of pottery technology, domestic and village life, ritual and debates centered on sociopolitical organization.