Movement, the Sacred, and Appropriations: Inka-Carangas Interactions in Sajama, Bolivia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Navigating Imperialism: Negotiated Communities and Landscapes of the Inka Provinces" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

When the Inka arrived to the Sajama region, they encountered the Carangas, a pastoralist group, living in pukaras along a corridor between the coast and the highlands. Based on limited ethnohistoric sources, the Carangas allied with the Inka against the neighboring Pacajes and, in exchange, allowed the Inka to pass through the region. This relationship was marked materially in the Sajama with Inka styled portable goods and limited Inka constructions. It is unclear how exactly the Carangas benefited from Inka imperialism, which is typically marked by reciprocity. This paper argues for the hegemonic control of the Sajama Carangas and the local appropriations of Inka imperialism into the sacred landscape and local political systems. By taking a collective action approach, I argue that the Carangas accepted Inka imperialism as it afforded them protection and allowed elites access to Inka-local goods. This exacerbated local power struggles resulting in increased factionalism that eroded capacity to organize collective action. Evidence of these interactions may be found in the selective consumption of Inka goods, use of Inka high-altitude sanctuaries, and the practice of *ceques that continued into the historic period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• Navigating Imperialism: Negotiated Communities and Landscapes of the Inka Provinces

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32238