Redefining the “City” during a Time of Risk: The Site of Achanchi and the Chanka Heartland of Andahuaylas, Central Highland Peru (1000–1400 CE)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Ancient Mesoamerican and Andean Cities: Old Debates, New Perspectives" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Traditional models of ancient cities have dominated archaeological discourse for nearly a century. This paper seeks to diversify definitions and assumptions regarding ancient cities, especially during periods of heightened economic and social risk. Using the large Late Intermediate Period (1000-1400 CE) ridge-top site of Achanchi in the Andahuaylas region of southern highland Peru, this paper presents a snapshot of “city” life, but contextualized within the highland Andean region during a period of dynamic change. This paper argues that the site of Achanchi encapsulated some, but not all characteristics and functions of a typical ancient city, yet played a critical, multifaceted role (e.g., refuge, economic center, burial ground) among local Chanka populations during a discrete time of overlapping risks linked to drought, warfare, and political factionalism.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Ancient Mesoamerican and Andean Cities: Old Debates, New Perspectives   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38096.0