Reconsidering the Imperial Subjects of the Southern Collasuyu: Commensality and Agency in Northern Chile

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Alfareros deste Inga: Pottery Production, Distribution and Exchange in the Tawantinsuyu" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

As in other parts of the empire, Inca pottery in the southern provinces portrays a mix of Cuzco and local designs. Inca aryballos, plates, and jars incorporated local styles, just as local pots incorporated Inca styles. However, does the presence of Inca style always indicate imperial control? How did locals manage to express their closeness or distance to the Inca state?

Through contextualizing the use of pottery in the case of Copiapó valley, northern Chile, I explore how these pots were used in ritual activities and daily life, including state sponsored commensality, and domestic and funerary use. The distribution and diversity of styles and practices associated with pottery suggests that in this region, Incas established their domain in a selective way, leaving room for local groups to express their autonomy and aspirations, during times of higher social complexity and broader regional interconnection.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Alfareros deste Inga: Pottery Production, Distribution and Exchange in the Tawantinsuyu

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25233