Neighborhoods and Urban Political Organization at El Purgatorio, Peru ca. AD 700–1400

Summary

El Purgatorio was the capital city of the Casma State, occupied from AD 700 to 1400. Neighborhoods at El Purgatorio were organized around social status, which was in turn related to a number of factors including occupation, access to and control over economic and ritual resources, and possibly length of tenure at the site. Neighborhoods were distinguished from one another by their architectural and topographical qualities, and exhibit both planned and organic elements. Neighborhoods also displayed some internal diversity. The interrelation of these neighborhoods’ functions and the interdependence of their residents were key elements in the the political economy of the capital city, and potentially in the Casma State. Research at El Purgatorio suggests that we need to be aware of the potential for multiple sociopolitical configurations among and between neighborhoods within the same city. Those contours can help us better understand the complexity and dynamism of settlements in the Prehispanic Andes. Moreover, the findings from El Purgatorio direct us to contemplate the relationship between urban core and hinterland neighborhoods in order to fully understand Prehispanic sociopolitical integration and dynamics.

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): 19886