The Mineral Heart of Tawantinsuyo: Metal Production, Power and Religiosity in Qollasuyo

Summary

Expansion into the Andean highlands located to the south of Cuzco was a movement of capital importance in the consolidation of the Tawantinsuyu. This southward extension permitted the Incan annexation of important political and religious enclaves, like those located on the shores of Lake Titicaca. That region is identified by various colonial sources as the place of origin of the Incas themselves. However, beyond this, expansion of the empire to the south provided access to the gold, silver, and copper mineral deposits in the region, including the most important ones in the Andes. Access to these deposits entailed the disclosure of sophisticated metallurgical knowledge and technologies that had been developed by the local populations of the area. In this this presentation, we articulate archaeological data from different regions of Bolivia (Oruro, Potosi, Lipez) and the north of Argentina (Salta, Jujuy) with information provided by colonial historical sources in order to highlight and characterize the relations connected to metal production, power and religion in Qollasuyu, and their expression in the Incan sanctification of mineral mountains in the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Rethinking the Inka: the View from the South

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