On the Frontiers of Empire: Inka Hegemony in Chachapoyas, Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Previous studies on the Inka conquest of Chachapoyas (AD 1470) have largely focused on an epic conflict between the invading Inka empire and warlike Chachapoya natives. Little attention has been directed towards understanding the processes by which the region was incorporated into the empire – how the landscape became naturalized as Inka, and how its inhabitants were transformed into Inka subjects. Past understandings of the Inka occupation of Chachapoyas have generally presented a picture of a minimal imperial footprint, coupled with significant population decline and reorganization. More recent work in the region has, however, suggested that the Inka invested significantly more in the region than initially supposed. Here, I focus on one settlement cluster – principally the sites of La Fila and Llaucán – located in the Utcubamba Valley, Chachapoyas – that displays clear evidence of Inka presence. Through a consideration of architectural and ceramic data from these sites, I examine how Inka rule was enacted, emplaced and experienced in this frontier region. Ultimately, I will consider how the materiality of Inka rule in these small communities can contribute to our understanding of the micropolitics of empire and the ways in which Inka hegemony was established and maintained in Chachapoyas.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25609