Time-space Appropriation in the Inka Empire

202 Pages·2017·4.53 MB·English

Time-space Appropriation in the Inka Empire
A Study of Imperial Metabolism
BOGADÓTTIR, RAGNHEIDUR
2016
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BOGADÓTTIR, RAGNHEIDUR. (2016). Time-space Appropriation in the Inka Empire: A Study of Imperial
Metabolism. [Doctoral Thesis (monograph), Human Ecology]. Lund University.
Total number of authors:
1
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LUND UNIVERSITY
PO Box 117
221 00 Lund
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LUND STUDIES IN HUMAN ECOLOGY 15
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This thesis analyzes some aspects of the appropriation of labor time and natural space in the pp
Inka Empire (ca. AD 1400 – 1532) in order to illuminate the cultural organization of Inka irr Inka Empire
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imperial metabolism. Rather than understanding Inka imperialism simply as a political p
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process with socioecological consequences, it is investigated as an ecological process organ- i
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ized through specific cultural categories. The Inka imperial economy is conceptualized in ti
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terms of transfers of time and space between different categories of people. n A Study of Imperial Metabolism

The thesis thus addresses long-standing questions regarding the economic operation of
the Inka Empire as well as central issues in general social theory. It demonstrates how impe-
rial power is based on biophysical flows of embodied labor and land, organized by specific
Ragnheiður Bogadóttir
cultural permutations of reciprocity and redistribution. The thesis focuses on estimating
these flows through analyses of time-space appropriation. This is done by reconstructing,
on the basis of archaeological, historical and ethnographic data, the production processes of
three emblematic Inka artifacts: textiles, chicha (maize beer), and stone walls.
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Human Ecology Division B
L und University 193181 ogad
IISSSBNN 1947083-9-510-72622 3-898-1 9789176 óttir

Time-space Appropriation in the Inka Empire

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Time-space Appropriation in
the Inka Empire

A Study of Imperial Metabolism

Ragnheiður Bogadóttir

DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
by due permission of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Lund University,
Sweden.
To be defended at Flygeln, Geocentrum I, Sölvegatan 10, Lund, Friday 16th
of September 2016 at 10.00
Faculty opponent
Professor Cathy L. Costin

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Organization Document name
LUND UNIVERSITY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
Department of Human Geography and Date of issue
the Human Ecology Division September 2016
Sölvegatan 10,
223 62 Lund
Author(s) Sponsoring organization
Ragnheiður Bogadóttir FORMAS The Swedish Research Council for Environment,
Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning
Title and subtitle
Time-space Appropriation in the Inka Empire: A Study of Imperial Metabolsim.
Abstract
This thesis analyzes some aspects of the appropriation of labor time and natural space in the Inka Empire
(ca. AD 1400 – 1532) in order to illuminate the cultural organization of Inka imperial metabolism. Rather
than understanding Inka imperialism simply as a political process with socioecological consequences, it is
investigated as an ecological process organized through specific cultural categories. The Inka imperial
economy is conceptualized in terms of transfers of time and space between different categories of people.
The thesis thus addresses long-standing questions regarding the economic operation of the Inka Empire
as well as central issues in general social theory. It demonstrates how imperial power is based on
biophysical flows of embodied labor and land, organized by specific cultural permutations of reciprocity and
redistribution. The thesis focuses on estimating these flows through analyses of time-space appropriation.
This is done by reconstructing, on the basis of archaeological, historical and ethnographic data, the
production processes of three emblematic Inka artifacts: textiles, chicha (maize beer), and stone walls.
Key words: Inka Empire, time-space appropriation, ecologically unequal exchange, historical political
ecology, human ecology
Classification system and/or index terms (if any)
Supplementary bibliographical information Language: English
ISSN and key title ISBN
1403-5022 (Lund Studies in Human Ecology 15) 978-91-7623-898-1
Recipient’s notes Number of pages 198 Price
Security classification

I, the undersigned, being the copyright owner of the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation, hereby grant
to all reference sources permission to publish and disseminate the abstract of the above-mentioned
dissertation.

Signature Date
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Time-space Appropriation in
the Inka Empire

A Study of Imperial Metabolism

Ragnheiður Bogadóttir

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Copyright © Ragnheiður Bogadóttir 2016
Illustration on rear cover by Kristina Anshelm
Faculty of Social Sciences
Department of Human Geography and the Human Ecology Division

ISBN 978-91-7623-898-1
ISSN 1403-5022

Printed in Sweden by Media-Tryck, Lund University
Lund 2016

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To my parents
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