Solar Architecture and the Making of Inca Sacredness

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Sunlight has long been curated within religious spaces to imbue them with a sense of sacredness and trigger a spiritual response among worshippers. The Coricancha was considered the most sacred temple in the Inca empire. Located in the capital of Cuzco and dedicated to the Sun, this religious center exhibited a simple design in its form and layout. A unique sensorial experience was achieved through metal furnishings attached to the walls which resulted in light performances within the contained space. Made of gold, these reflective attachments not only redirected sunlight but, this material being associated with the Sun, also served to summon sacredness, rendering visible the presence of the force to which Inca rulers attributed their ancestral origin. In this paper, I explore how Inca architects manipulated sunlight to center attention on the temple's courtyard and simultaneously impair visibility towards its perimeter. In contrast with the bright courtyard, the interior of the surrounding structures would have remained relatively dark, therefore constituting a more suitable setting to host private ceremonies. Thus, I analyze how the architectural management of sunlight as an ephemeral element played a critical role in the making of Inca sacredness.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40003.0