Table Of ContentTHE ANCIENT ANDEAN STATES
The Ancient Andean States combines modern social theory, recent archaeological
literature, and the experience of the author to examine politics and power in the
great Andean pre-Hispanic societies.
The ancient Andean states were the great shapers of Peruvian prehistory. Social
complexity, architectural monumentality, and specialized economic production,
among others, were features of these sophisticated societies known by professionals
and travelers from around the world. How and when these states emerged and
succeeded is still debated. By examining Andean pre-Hispanic societies such as
Caral, Sechín, Chavín, Moche, Wari, Chimú, and Inca, this book delves into their
political and economic structures as well as explores their ideological worldviews.
It reveals how these societies were organized and how different social groups
interacted in the states.
Archaeologists and anthropologists interested in Peruvian archaeology and the
political and social structures of ancient societies will find this book to be a valuable
addition to their shelves.
Henry Tantaleán is a Peruvian archaeologist from Lima. He studied archaeology
at the National University of San Marcos, where he is currently a full professor.
He obtained a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the Autonomous University of
Barcelona, Spain. His interests are social theory and archaeological applications,
Andean archaeology, and origins of the Andean pre-Hispanic states. He is the
author of several academic publications. Recently, he published Peruvian Archaeology:
A Critical History (Routledge, 2016) and edited the volume Andean Ontologies: New
Archaeological Perspectives.
“This is a wonderful and engaging resource: an important account of the
development of states in the pre-Hispanic Andes. It provides a broad-ranging
discussion that explores the Andean examples within an inclusive theoretical
framework. The book is highly successful in celebrating the diversity of ancient
states in the Andes while at the same time noting the similarities between them and
with other parts of the globe.”
– Ian Hodder, Stanford University, USA
“Tantaleán provides a remarkably concise and wide-ranging prehistory of complex
Andean societies. Arranged chronologically and developmentally, each chapter describes
a well-documented prehistoric case vividly exemplified by archaeological sites from Late
Archaic origins of complexity at Caral to the expansive Inca Empire. His compelling
and up-to-date presentations are skillfully understood by a robust social theory.”
– Timothy Earle, Northwestern, USA
“Harnessing a selection of the great societies of the Andean region, Tantaleán dives
into key polities that illustrate the breadth of the long-lived pre-modern Andean
states. This book will be excellent for everyone who teaches and learns Andean
archaeology, as these case studies clearly and briefly lay out the major aspects of a
range of Andean societies framing each society in a similar way, making it easy to
compare and contrast between them.”
– Christine Hastorf, University of California, Berkeley, USA
“The Ancient Andean States is an innovative evolutionary synthesis of power and
politics in prehistoric Peru. Engagingly written, Tantaleán explores the origins and
development of statecraft in the land of the Inca.”
– Michael Moseley, University of Florida, USA
THE ANCIENT
ANDEAN STATES
Political Landscapes
in Pre-Hispanic Peru
Henry Tantaleán
First published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 Henry Tantaleán
The right of Henry Tantaleán to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Tantaleán, Henry, 1974– author.
Title: The ancient Andean states : political landscapes in prehispanic
Peru / Henry Tantaleán.
Description: First edition. | New York : Routledge, 2021. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020019464 (print) | LCCN 2020019465 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781138097636 (hardback) | ISBN 9781138097643 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781315104775 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Peru—Antiquities. | Peru—History—To 1548. | Indians
of South America—Peru—Antiquities. | Indians of South America—
Peru—Politics and government. | Indians of South America—Peru—
Economic conditions. | Indians of South America—Peru—History. |
Excavations (Archaeology)—Peru. | Andes Region—Antiquities.
Classification: LCC F3429 .T2166 2021 (print) | LCC F3429 (ebook) |
DDC 980—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020019464
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020019465
ISBN: 9781138097636 (hbk)
ISBN: 9781138097643 (pbk)
ISBN: 9781315104775 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
CONTENTS
List of illustrations vii
List of tables ix
Preface x
Acknowledgments xiv
1 Introduction: why and how to study the ancient
Andean states 1
PART I
Theoretical and methodological approaches to
the study of the ancient Andean states 11
2 Previous research on the ancient Andean states in Peru 13
3 A proposal for the study of ancient Andean states 28
PART II: CASE STUDIES
Section 1: the precursors of the ancient Andean states 51
4 Caral 53
5 Sechín 73
6 Chavín 94
vi Contents
PART II
Section 2: the ancient Andean states 115
7 Moche 117
8 Wari 142
9 Chimú 166
10 Inca 189
PART III
Summary 217
11 The ancient Andean states: discontinuities and continuities 219
12 Epilogue 231
Bibliography 235
Index 274
ILLUSTRATIONS
3.1 Google Earth view with the main political centers described
in this book: (1) Caral, (2) Sechín Alto, (3) Chavín de Huántar,
(4) Huacas de Moche, (5) Huari, (6) Chan Chan, (7) Cuzco. 46
3.2 Chronological schemes of Rowe and Lumbreras. 49
4.1 Google Earth view with location of the main sites mentioned
in this chapter. 54
4.2 Caral archaeological site. 57
4.3 Templo Mayor of Caral. 58
4.4 Altar of Sacred Fire, located in the walled inner space of the
Templo del Anfiteatro. 59
4.5 Anthropomorphic sculpture made with unbaked clay from Caral. 62
5.1 Google Earth view with location of the main sites mentioned
in this chapter. 74
5.2 Google Earth view with location of the main sites in Casma
Valley mentioned in this chapter. 75
5.3 View of Sechín Valley from Cerro Sechín site. 77
5.4 Detail of the walls of Sechín Alto facade. 78
5.5 Detail of the carved stones in the outer wall of Cerro Sechín
building. 81
5.6 Stone mortar found in Santa Valley. 83
6.1 Google Earth view of Chavín de Huántar. 95
6.2 View of Chavín de Huántar site. 99
6.3 “New Temple” of Chavín de Huántar. 100
6.4 Monolithic “Lanzón” of Chavín de Huántar. 101
6.5 Upper section of the Tello Obelisk. 104
7.1 Google Earth view with location of the main sites mentioned
in this chapter. 118
viii List of illustrations
7.2 Huaca del Sol. 123
7.3 Huaca de la Luna and Cerro Blanco. 124
7.4 Friezes of Huaca de la Luna. 125
7.5 Roll-out of the Moche Presentation theme. Moche Archive,
Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University,
Washington, D.C. 128
7.6 Ceramic vessel depicting a Moche warrior. Piece found in
Tomb 5 located in architectural compound 55, urban core
of Huacas de Moche. 129
7.7 Moche ceramic model. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 130
7.8 Friezes of Huaca Cao. 132
7.9 Reconstruction of Lady of Cao. 133
8.1 Google Earth view with location of the main sites mentioned
in this chapter. 143
8.2 Panoramic view of Huari site. 147
8.3 D-shaped temple of Vegachayoq Moqo sector in Huari. 148
8.4 Painted motif on a ceramic vessel excavated in Conchopata. 150
8.5 Megalithic tomb in Cheqowasi sector in Huari. 151
8.6 Google Earth view of Pikillacta. 152
8.7 Cerro Baúl. 153
8.8 Ceramic vessel excavated in Pacheco site, Nazca. 155
8.9 Wari textile from Huaca Malena. 157
9.1 Google Earth view of the archaeological sites mentioned
in this chapter. 167
9.2 Air view of Chan Chan. 172
9.3 Main plaza of the Tschudi Palace in Chan Chan. 173
9.4 Audiencia in Tschudi Palace. 174
9.5 Wood sculpture discovered in Ciudadela Rivero. 176
9.6 Chimú silver vessel. 177
9.7 Manchán archaeological site. 179
10.1 Google Earth view with location of the main sites mentioned
in this chapter. 191
10.2 Cuzco city. 195
10.3 Coricancha. 197
10.4 Machu Picchu. 201
10.5 Ingapirca, Ecuador. 201
10.6 Temple of the Sun, Pachacamac. 202
10.7 Inca ceramic vessel. 203
10.8 Inca textile. 204
TABLES
3.1 Chronologies of societies analyzed in this book. 47
4.1 Archaeological indicators in Caral. 65
5.1 Archaeological indicators in Sechín Alto. 86
6.1 Archaeological indicators in Chavín. 108
7.1 Archaeological indicators in Moche. 136
8.1 Archaeological indicators in Wari. 161
9.1 Archaeological indicators in Chimú. 183
10.1 Archaeological indicators in Inca. 209
11.1 Archaeological indicators in societies analyzed in this book. 220
11.2 Estimated population of the main settlements analyzed
in this book. 222
11.3 Extension in hectares of main sites analyzed in this book. 223
