Inca landscapes in the Kollasuyu. The case of the Quebrada de Humahuaca (Jujuy, Argentina)

CREMONTE, MARÍA BEATRIZ; OTERO, CLARISA; OCHOA, PABLO ADOLFO; SCARO, AGUSTINA

International Journal of South American Archaeology

Syllaba Press International Inc.

Lugar: Florida; Año: 2019 vol. 4 p. 47 - 70

The Inca Empire operated a versatile set of policies that responded to distinct local conditions and, consequently, it was comprised of amosaic of different landscapes. In the central and south-central sectors of Quebrada de Humahuaca, in the north of Argentina, the combinedanalysis of a number of elements allowed us to infer the nature and degree of imperial intervention, thus enriching the understanding of Incadomination and conquest strategies according to local conditions within a region that presented pre-existing variations. At Pucara de Tilcara,which appears to have functioned as a political, administrative, productive and religious center, we have documented the specialized productionof luxury lapidary goods (e.g. alabaster). We also highlight the Inca interest in the resources of the eastern valleys and yungas to the south, withan important administrative center in Esquina de Huajra. The distinct economic and social processes observed in Quebrada de Humahuaca,initiated during the Late Intermediate Period and subsequently amplified by the Inca, formed the basis of a regional social dynamic and identitythat lasted into Colonial times.