The Inca State and the Valley of Acari, Peru

Summary

The south coast of Peru was one of the regions conquered relatively early by the expanding Inca state. Following its incorporation, a series of Inca administrative centers were established, all linked by a branch of the Inca road. Tambo Viejo was established in the Acarí Valley. The south coast was, in general, incorporated peacefully into the imperial system; the administrative control exercised by the Inca state was likely to have been exerted through local authorities. However, Inca control was brief and probably lasted no more than fifty years. As a result, the residents of valleys such as Acarí experienced little change in their daily life. The architecture of Tambo Viejo and the associated ceramics do not exhibit strong external influence, but rather a low impact of Inca traditions. Though material items display only minor changes, Inca ideology is more apparent in the manner in which the layout of the center was planned. Tambo Viejo, although built with architecture in the local tradition, was conceived following the standardized Inca structural pattern that included a large rectangular plaza and an enormous mound that very likely served as an ushnu.

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): 20347