Between the Altiplano and the Amazonia: Strategies of Inka Control in Carabaya Mountains

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The relationship between the Inkas and the Amazonia was complex. Although the Inka elite often depicted the Amazonian peoples as “savages”, many of the resources necesary in their ritual and social life actually originated in the Amazon. This fact, coupled with an expansionist ideology, led to numerous military campaigns eastward.

These campaigns leveraged the Eastern Andes as a “fortress zone” (Pärssinen & Siiriäinen, 2003), where the Inkas established facilities to support their military and diplomatic efforts. This symposium aims to explore the strategies used for the Inkas in this “fortress zone”, with a particular focus on the Carabaya Mountains. By examining various settlements with Inka presence, we seek to reconstruct the strategies employed by the Inkas in this region and assess the impact of their occupation on the local populations.

The evidence indicates the presence of a dependent local elite, with strong ties with the Inkas. This elite was responsible for constructing roads, managing tribute, and organizing communal feasts. Additionally, there were "archipelagos", controlled directly by Cusquenian officials. Also, the Inka facilities in the area had not a defensive focus, what suggest a least militaristic strategie.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 54086