Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science
Permanent link for this collection
Browse
Browsing Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science by Subject "Andes"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Advances in Titicaca basin archaeology(2006) Valdez, Lidio M.This edited volume explores the ancient history of the Andean Altiplano region. The editors, especially Stanish and Aldenderfer, have been working in the south central Andean region for more than a decade and have established themselves as leading scholars of the archaeology of the Altiplano. The volume consists of eighteen chapters, arranged in chronological order, which were written by several scholars who present the results of various field studies carried out in the Titicaca Basin over the years.Item Arqueologia de la Cuenca del Qaracha, Ayacucho, Peru(1994) Valdez, Lidio M.; Vivanco, CiriloIn order to evaluate the Precolumbian occupation of the Qaracha Basin (Ayacucho, Peru), we carried out an archaeological survey in 1988, which yielded evidence of three main occupations, the first under Wari domination ca. A.D. 600, with settlements located 2,800-3,650 m asl, in control of farmland linked to corn cultivation. Around A.D. 900 the Wari sites were abandoned, and new fortified sites were built in strategic positions in the upper elevations. Inka control of the central Andes brought about abandonment of the fortified sites and the founding of new Inka sites (mitimaes) near the ancient Wari sites. We believe that the first change was tied to collapse of the Wari state, which was followed by an unsettled situation in which former elements of the Wari state were at war. The final change ended the chaotic period with the birth of the Inka state in the Andes.Item Mortuary preferences and selected references: a comment on Middle Horizon Wari burials(2006) Valdez, J. Ernesto; Ochatoma, José A.; Bettcher, Katrina J.; Valdez, Lidio M.In a recently published paper, Isbell (2004; see also Isbell 2000; Isbell and Cook 2002) reports the finding of several Wari mortuary structures from the site of Conchopata. On the basis of this information and additional data from the main Wari site also in the Ayacucho Valley, Isbell has developed a Wari mortuary typology varying from very simple graves to an elaborate chamber complex that is argued to be the tomb of ‘an emperor’. Isbell argues that this mortuary variability mirrors status difference and social inequality. At the same time, Isbell asserts that some high-ranking Wari individuals practiced polygyny. While the paper under consideration provides important data for understanding Wari society, Isbell unfortunately has ignored other equally relevant information. Indeed, published reports of other Wari mortuary structures excavated during the last six years in the Ayacucho Valley are not included in the discussion. Consequently, Isbell's analysis is incomplete and misleading. To amend this situation, our aim is to present the information that we and other colleagues have accumulated in the Ayacucho Valley. All available data considered, Wari mortuary variability is even greater than the simple hierarchical typology promoted by Isbell.Item New Wari mortuary structures in the Ayacucho Valley, Peru(2002) Valdez, Lidio M.; Bettcher, Katrina J.; Valdez, J. ErnestoRecent archaeological salvage excavations in the Ayacucho Valley of the Peruvian Central Highlands resulted in the discovery of two totally new mortuary structure forms for the region andfor the Wari culture in particular. Thefirstform consists of two rectangular mortuary chambers, each with a small east-facing entrance and holding the interred remains of several individuals. The second form consists of several cylindrical cists, each containing the remains of a single individual. We describe both mortuaryf orms and compare them to other known Warim ortuary structures of the region. Since both chambers evidently were accessible, we also discuss their possible implications with regard to ancestor worship, keeping in mind that an important aspect of Inka ayllu organization was the veneration of ancestors' mummified bodies kept in accessible mortuary buildingsItem Review: Pathways of memory and power: ethnography and history among an Andean people by Thomas A. Abercrombie(1998) Valdez, Lidio M.Pathways of Power: Ethnography and History Among an Andean People is an understandable analysis of the ancient and present history of K'ulta, a community of shepherds from the south of Oruro, Bolivia.