Early Monumental Architecture in Peru: Sunken Circular Plazas from the Late Archaic (5000–2600 B.C.) to the Final Formative (400–200 B.C.)

Summary

We hereby focus on a feature of monumental architecture in north and central Peru from the Late Archaic (5000-2600 B.C.) to the Final Formative (400-200 B.C.) respectively illustrated by the sites of Sechín Bajo and Pallka both located in the Casma Valley. This specific feature is the sunken circular plaza (SCP), a public-oriented sunken space whose circular shape runs from 1,5 m to 80 m, as the most extreme examples. Through the record and description of 64 sites –some of them contained several SCP-, we intended to understand the characteristics of SCP. Indeed, those structures vary in terms of building materials, capacity, centrality and space syntax. Besides, sites patterns presenting SCP are very diverse, which led to the establishment of a typology. This record enabled us to approach SCP diffusion through time and space. While focusing on the most documented sites, we also attempted to pinpoint specific functions associated to processions, gatherings and ritual activities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21930