Andesite Exchange Networks from the Formative to Middle Horizon in Cusco

Summary

This is an abstract from the "New Advances in Cusco Archaeology: From the Formative to the Late Horizon" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Rumiqolqa quarry is well known as the main source of stone for some of the most impressive Inka constructions, however the quarry's use prior to the Late Horizon is less understood. During her excavations at the Formative site of Marcavalle, Mohr-Chavez hypothesized that the andesite used to make flaked tools at the site likely originated from Rumiqolqa with Minaspata as a main supplier. This paper presents the results of geochemical and GIS analysis of a sample of andesite from Late Formative and Middle Horizon contexts at the sites of Muyumoqo and Ak'awillay to test Mohr-Chavez's hypothesis of andesite exchange in Cusco. The geochemical and macroscopic data indicate that the majority of andesite originated from the Rumiqolqa quarry and provides support for an intensive, localized exchange network of andesite beginning in the Formative. Further, we model the potential trade routes taken using Least Cost Paths and ethnographic accounts of caravans. Overall, our study documents an intensive exchange of andesite beginning in the Formative, differential access/preference for this andesite, and the persistence of this exchange despite Wari intrusion into the Lucre Basin during the Middle Horizon.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• New Advances in Cusco Archaeology: From the Formative to the Late Horizon

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50627