Bioarchaeology of Imperial Relations: Chanka and Inca Interactions at Sondor

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

An empire expanding into a previously established community can have significant impacts on the identity and culture of the conquered, depending on the negotiations set into place between the invaders and native communities. A prominent example of these negotiations of imperial control occurred in the prehistoric highlands when the Inca rose to power during the Late Horizon (LH, AD 1400-1532). One social area the Inca targeted when incorporating communities into the empire was the alteration of their ancestor associations and behaviors (ayllu obligations), which makes mortuary studies a key part of investigations into Inca imperial influence. This project focuses on the Chanka, a culture that developed during the Late Intermediate Period (LIP, AD 1000-1400) in the Andahuaylas region of Peru and was known infamously by the Inca as a group of warriors they conquered in battle before expanding into the rest of the Andes. However, bioarchaeological evidence found at the site of Sondor shows a different type of relationship between the Chanka and Inca. Here we will present preliminary findings from excavations at Sondor, dated to the late LIP and early LH, showing changes in mortuary styles and evidence of widespread health issues, interpersonal violence, and non-local trepanation styles.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36152.0