Building Statehood: Wari Architecture and Colonial Strategies in Cajamarca

Summary

Wari expansion across the Central Andes involved the construction of colonies, serving as nodes in the state network from Cajamarca to Moquegua. Each colony, even considering local adaptations, was built following a precise sequence and setting up predetermined types of spaces. Monumental architecture exhibiting Wari features and design became an expression of power by itself, a symbol of Wari hegemony physically inscribed in the local social landscape. Large amounts of work were invested in the construction of colonial installations, as well as the roads that connected them with the other nodes in the system, and the agricultural infrastructure that supported the local communities. In this paper I examine the architecture of the two known Wari colonies in the Cajamarca region –El Palacio and Yamobamba–, and compare their construction and trajectories to other excavated Wari sites, to evaluate their role in the state hegemonic project. Research at these sites shows different motivations for their construction, as well significant changes in their use over time, providing evidence of a dynamic Wari agenda in the North Highlands.

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): 21175