Chincha-Inka Joint Rule: Exploring the Role of Local Elites in the Transformations of Complex N1 at Las Huacas

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Indigenous Stories of the Inka Empire: Local Experiences of Ancient Imperialism" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Studies of Inka expansion often highlight the important role that elites played in expanding and administering the empire. This is especially true on the central and south coast, where the Inka came into contact with complex polities. Arguably, the most well-known of these groups were the Chincha. Through ethnohistoric and archaeological investigations it is clear that the authority of the Chincha and the Inka were developed alongside each other, but how this system of dual authority was developed and the active and passive roles of local elites has yet to be fully explored. This paper presents new data from the site of Las Huacas, which was an important agricultural center in the Chincha Valley during the LIP (AD 1100–1400) and Late Horizon (AD 1400–1532). Research at the site discovered transformations to the use and organization of Complex N1 throughout the Late Horizon and, possibly, early colonial period (AD 1532–1650). These changes, while incorporating new architectural canons and some foreign material culture, have a strong local influence. The paper concludes by exploring how these transformations reflect the role of local elites and their participation in the changing sociopolitical landscape of the Late Horizon.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• Indigenous Stories of the Inka Empire: Local Experiences of Ancient Imperialism

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32916