Beyond the Wall: Defensive Arrangements, Conflicts and Coexistence Inside an Andean Oasis during the Late Intermediate Period (1100–1450 AD)

Summary

Located on the western foothills of the Andes, in the region of Tacna, the study area seems to have been densely occupied during the Late Intermediate Period (1100–1450 AD) as the recent archaeological research carried out in the area has demonstrated it. The many agricultural terraces and irrigation canals, as well as the numerous residential settlements, some of which are fortified, seem to demonstrate a strong desire for control and management of resources among the different groups occupying the area. Indeed, this region is known to be one of the many archipelagos of the Andean verticality and, on the northern margins of the Atacama desert, it can be also considered as a real oasis where different groups of people lived to harness resources together.

During a period known as violent, like the LIP, the study of the hillforts named pucara can allow us to better understand the prehispanic occupation of this complex area and shed light on the modalities of coexistence within a multi-ethnic archipelago. Thus, many questions can be raised : How does resource sharing work? Is there a separation between the different groups? What are the role and functions of the defensive sites ?

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20171