Table Of ContentAndean Archaeology II
Art, Landscape, and Society
Andean Archaeology II
Art, Landscape, and Society
Edited by
Helaine Silverman
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
and
William H. Isbell
State University of New York at Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Springer Science+ Business Media, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
ISBN 978-1-4613-5150-4 ISBN 978-1-4615-0597-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-0597-6
©2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Kluwer AcademiclPlenum Publishers in 2002
Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover Ist edition 2002
AII rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise,
without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied
specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive
use by the purchaser of the work.
In honorofourcolleague, amautaTom Zuidema, apachacuti in Andean studies.
Contributors
Tamara L. Bray • Department of Anthropology, Wayne State University,
Detroit,MI48202
Martha Cabrera Romero • Universidad Nacional de San Crist6bal de
Huamanga,Ayacucho, Peru
Antonio Carrillo B. • Direcci6n Regional del Austro, Instituto Nacional de
Patrimonio Cultural, Cuenca,Ecuador
SergioJ. Chavez • DepartmentofSociology,Anthropology,andSocialWork,
CentralMichiganUniversity, Mt. Pleasant, MI48859
Anita G. Cook • Department of Anthropology, Catholic University,
Washington, D.C. 20064
James D. Farmer • Department of Anthropology, Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond,VA 23284
Terence Grieder • Department of Art History, University of Texas, Austin,
TX78712
David W Johnson • Adjunct Research Associate, Department of
Anthropology, University ofMassachusetts,Amherst, MA01003
Bradford M. Jones • Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois,
Urbana, IL61801
William H. Isbell • Department of Anthropology, State University of New
York, Binghamton,NY 13902
MargaretA. Jackson • DepartmentofArtHistory, UniversityofMiami,Coral
Gables, FL 33124
Stephen B. Mabee • Department of Geosciences, University of
Massachusetts,Amherst, MA01003
vii
viii Contributors
Stella Nair • DepartmentofArchitecture, University ofCalifornia, Berkeley,
CA94720
Jose Ochatoma Paravicino • Universidad Nacional de San Crist6bal de
Huamanga,Ayacucho, Peru
Donald A. Proulx • Department of Anthropology, University of
Massachusetts,Amherst, MA01003
Jean-Pierre Protzen • Department ofArchitecture, University of California,
Berkeley,CA94720
Helaine Silverman • Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois,
Urbana, IL61801
Adriana von Hagen • Institute ofAndean Studies, University of California,
Berkeley, CA94709
Preface
Central Andean archaeology is at last reaching maturity and, as part of that
maturity, archaeologists are revealing its range ofstylistic variations and the rich
nessofitsartandartifacts.Thisvolumeseeks,asitsprimarygoal, tointroducethe
reader to this richness and variation. As in Volume I (Andean Archaeology I:
Variations in Sociopolitical Organzation, edited byWilliamH. Isbell and Helaine
Silverman), wehave not sought abalancedcoverageofAndean areas and cultural
phases. Rather, we present a representative sample ofcreative new investigations
focused-in thiscase-onart,architecture,andlandscapesasculturalproductions.
The development ofAndean archaeology was significantly shaped by the
area's ancientart, its preservation, and its potentialfor collection and exhibition.
Numerous fine objects of art had been placed whole by ancient people into
graves. Impressivecollections ofancient Peruvian antiquities wereeasilyrecov
eredbyarchaeologistsand, inevitably,looters. Earlyexpeditionsvisitedthegreat
monuments of Tiwanaku, Pachacamac, and Moche, sending many spectacular
objectstoforeignmuseums.CollectionsofancientPeruvianartifactswereexhib
ited around the world~xquisite Nasca, Moche, and Huari pottery, fabulous
Paracas and Huari textiles. These lovely materials delighted viewers with their
boldelegance.
Ofcourse, thehistory ofAndean archaeology was shapedbyotherresearch
agendas, too-the Olmec/Chavin debate about a single origin for New World
civilization, the scrambleto find theearliestsedentismand causesofagriculture,
andthedocumentationofpristineAndeanstategovernmentaresomeofthemore
influential. But throughout these campaigns, archaeological cultures associated
with the most pleasing art styles have emerged time after time as the most thor
oughly investigated. Consequently, many other cultural traditions were simply
assimilated into the well known styles whose developmental trajectories were
used to characterizetheentireaggregateofAndeancultures.
Mochecultureisanexcellentexample.Fromtum-of-the-centuryexcavations
attheHuacadelSol,totheselectionoftheVirUValleyasthefocusofanintegrated
archaeologicalprograminthe 1940s,totheMochearchivecreatedbyChristopher
Donnan, to the large-scale excavations currently sponsored by private Peruvian
ix
x Preface
businesses,knowledge aboutMocheis unsurpassed.And now, Moche specialists
are investigating new issues-from ethnic boundaries and interactions with
neighboringpeoplesto the developmentofproto-writing (Jackson, this volume).
Clearly,Mocheisbutoneand, certainly, an extraordinaryexampleofan ancient
Andeansociety, culture, andstyle.
Many ofthe cultures associated with less popular art styles have remained
little known or even ignored. The creators ofthe Lima style (see Makowski, in
VolumeI) producedpotterythatdoesnotsparktheimaginationasdoMocheand
Nasca. Although associated with impressive pyramid complexes throughout
Peru'smoderncapital city, where there are numerous museums and universities,
Lima culture is poorly reported and only now being systematically investigated.
Highland cultures are less studied than coastal ones, in part because ofdifficult
logistics, but also because their graves rarely contain complete examples offine
pottery and textiles. Least known are the archaeological records of the eastern
Andeancejade montanaand UpperAmazontributaries.
Today, archaeologists arebeginning to study littleknown areas and archae
ological cultures. New investigations ofhighland Huari, noteven recognized as
an independent style until the early 1950s, are exposing the important city of
Conchopata. Investigations of Recuay and other north highland styles are in
progress.Pucara,Tiwanaku,andTiticacaBasinarchaeologyisexperiencinggreat
advances. The outlines of a new Nasca archaeology can be discerned. Little
known stylesfromtheAcarianddistantOcofia,Majes,andSihuasvalleysareno
longercollapsed into one culture. Vast areas ofthe higWands remain uncharted,
especially in Bolivia. Even the Cochabambavalley is little investigated, in spite
of its importance to the Incas and probable key role in early cultural develop
ments in the southern sphere ofthe CentralAndes. Many nameless archaeologi
cal societies are just beginning to appear in the literature, or remain to be
discoveredandmeaningfullyintegratedinto the sweepofAndean prehistory.
In addition to the attraction of discovery in an area rich with ruins, the
historyofAndeanartandarchaeologyhasalsobeeninfluencedbythevastvolume
ofmaterialremainsfromthepast,aswellastheirextraordinarypreservation,espe
cially in south coastal Peru and neighboring Chile. Our colleagues who work in
variousotherpartsofthe worldare oftenastonishedbyourphotographsofstand
ing fieldstone and adobe architecture, intact textiles, vivid polychrome sherds,
pyroengraved gourds, and complete skeletons and mummy bundles.Yet this pro
fusion of remains is a kind of curse since there is so much to analyze.
Overwhelmingquantitiesofmaterialshavehamperedtimelycompletionofreports
and publications. Pucara pottery (Chavez, this volume) is finally published fifty
years after its originalexcavation. Pottery newlyexcavated at Conchopata (Isbell
and Cook, Ochatoma and Cabrera, this volume) exceeds fifteen tons, so the task
ofsimplydeterminingwhatcollectionsofsherdsareworthfurtherattentioninpre
liminaryeffortstoreconstructforms anddesigns isdaunting,yetprogressing.
Preface xi
The demands offield and lab work in CentralAndean archaeology occupy
somuchtimeandenergythattheorizingmaysufferinaperverseinversionofdata
andideas. Inbalance(as weconsidermorefully inthetwo sectionintroductions
forthisvolume),manyAndeanistshavedevotedcareerstooneoranotherancient
cultureandthey are now, inmaturity, achievingfascinating (and, aboveall, plau
sible) insights into ancient societies. They have "paid their dues," conducting
yearsofpainstakingempiricalresearchthatmightqualify as whatethnographers
call"thickdescription."They havebecomemastersofthe archaeologicalrecord,
experts in the art and all of its variations, authorities on ancient technologies,
experiencedinsettlementpatternsandcommunityorganization, andevenableto
predictwheretombsaretobefound (thiskindofknowledgehaslegendarilybeen
attributedtolooterswhohavespentalifetimedigging).Suchdepthofknowledge
promotesempathicinsightsintoanarchaeologicalartandculture,furtheringcon
ditionsforbreakthroughsinknowledge.Theassociatedscholarshipalsocreatesa
marvelousfoundation on whichyoung archaeologists canbuild.
The early 21st century will see, we believe, a mature Andean scholarship
that will offer to colleagues outside our culture area important contributions for
comparativetheorizingon processesofsocialinequality, prestigegenerationand
maintenance,ethnogenesis,materiality andthedifferential productionofculture,
household organization, craft production, burial customs, landscape evolution,
urbanism,andritualsofpower,amongmanyotheraspectsofsociopoliticallifein
thepast.Inavarietyofwaysthepapersinthisvolumeaddresstheseissues.Their
strength, webelieve, is in theirforegrounding ofarea, data, andempirical analy
sesratherthan theoretical approaches.
Thefield ofCentralAndeanarchaeologyiscreativeandhealthy. Inaddition
toaverystrongpresenceofestablishedscholarsactiveinthefield, eachyearsees
a larger group of recent Ph.D.s and advanced graduate students conducting
research and presentingresults at national and international meetings. Many are
workingon majorarchaeologicalcultures and the coastis stillpreferredoverthe
highlands, but enthusiasm for venturing into unknown cultures is increasing,
especially as civil unrest in Peru has been normalized. New archaeological
researchinunknownterritoriesis necessarilydesignedtosimplydeterminewhat
is there, and when. The importanceofthis basic research cannotbeemphasized
enough.
We enthusiastically offer this volume, the second in what we hope will
become a series, as an example of the exciting work being done in Andean
archaeology today and as apreview ofwhat will beaddressed in thefuture.
