Care and Power: Craftsmanship and Wari Elites Dynamics: A Case from Castillo de Huarmey, Peru

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Archaeology of Care and Power" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The recent discovery of the tomb of the Master Basketmaker within the Gallery of Elite Craftsmen, located in the nearest vicinity of the imperial Wari tomb at the site of Castillo de Huarmey, Peru, presents an exceptional opportunity to analyze the interplay between different tiers of elites, particularly in the context of the presence of disabled members. Due to the significant physical limitations, the Basketmaker was unable to exist independently and thus had to rely on the assistance of others. Simultaneously, the assisting party leveraged the artisan's skills, affording him the status of a member of the elite or circles closely associated with the elites of the Wari empire. This discovery possibly exemplifies the comprehensive care extended to members of society in exchange for their craftsmanship skills essential to the Wari Empire’s highest elites. This issue will be addressed on a broader scale, incorporating more contexts from the site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• The Archaeology of Care and Power

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52519