Kin, Ancestors, and Commensality: A New Vision for Huari Urbanism in Middle Horizon Peru (600–1000 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.

Home to as many as 70,000 residents at its height, Huari was the largest city in the precolumbian Andes. The city’s organization, however, has long perplexed scholars. There is abundance evidence for wealth and significant social stratification, alongside displays of violence and power. Yet, researchers have yet to find large plazas, broad avenues, a ruler’s palace, a main temple, specialized production centers, or any of the other indications of centralized planning and control that are the anchoring features in most Mesoamerican and Andean cities. In a word, Huari looks like a mess, especially during its first centuries. In this paper, I argue for a new model of Huari urbanism based on commensality. The importance of feasting in Andean politics is well-recognized and Wari governance appears to have been based on the shared preparation and consumption of large amounts of food and drink amongst a few people. Politics were ritually charged and ancestor-centered, predominately taking place within D-shaped temples and the internal patios of elite residences that could only fit a couple dozen people. Huari, in essence, was forged one party at a time, created in a cacophony of intimate meals hosted by competing elite.

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): 41653.0