To the East of the Titicaca Basin: The Yunga-Kallawayas and the Inka Frontier

Summary

The Kallawaya region was an important imperial breadbasket of the Collasuyu, located to the east of the Titicaca basin. Formed by a set of narrow temperate valleys, this region was a natural corridor that led to Apolo and the Mojos savannas to the north, and to the east to the tropical Yunga mountains. Because of its marked altitudinal variation, this region was suitable for pastoralism, the production of corn and coca, and farther east, the exploitation of gold mines. The Inkas at their arrival expanded dramatically the system of agrarian terraces along the set of valleys, and promoted the influx of a large contingent of mitmaqkuna colonies for farming and productive ends. This was accompanied by the establishment of sizable storage facilities, including the control of key trading networks that crossed the frontier. Using a regional-scale perspective, this poster explores the scale of such socioeconomic shifts, and the ways in which indigenous Yunga-Kallawaya populations reacted and adapted to such changes.

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): 22024