The Lake Titicaca Architectural Tradition from the Formative to the Tiwanaku Periods

VRANICH, ALEXEI; MARSH, ERIK J.; RODDICK, ANDREW P.

Chicago

Simposio; Simposio invitado en The Field Museum; 2022

Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social

For political and social reasons, the search for an analog to explain the Tiwanaku phenomenon falls upon the later empire of the Incas and other primary states of the Old World, such as Egypt or Mesopotamia. Part of the intent was to counteract centuries of bias against indigenous accomplishments by demonstrating that Tiwanaku was comparable to better-known examples of powerful and complex civilizations. However, one of the unintended effects of this comparison is a separation of Tiwanaku from its cultural and historical context. This presentation changes the perspective and looks to the previous period to measure the degree that the Formative period institutions form the basis for the later period Tiwanaku site. The result shows a strong continuity in basic ritual form along with elements of innovation.