Southern Empire Chronology: some questions about Inca Arcaheology

WILLIAMS V. I.

Washington DC

Workshop; Roundtable on Inka Chronology; 2007

Dumbarton oaks Precolumbian Studies

Studies on the Inca State expansion in separated parts of the Andes show different motivations and control strategies, dominated by the economic sphere directed to the intensification of production and surplus extraction to support the expansion and maintenance of the state. This primary economic interest would have probably been linked to political issues coactive military actions (Arkush 2005, 2006; Carneiro 1990) and ideological legitimating processes expressed in a symbolism of power, that has more archaeological visibility than military actions which are more prestigious on the chronicles. In this context, the archaeological study of specific cases of administration at the provincial level has remained aside, such as those analyzed in this paper, as most of the effort, tended to be concentrated in the major center. Focusing on local scenarios is an important source for understanding the interaction of local communities with the state, as it gives a different perspective to look at the economic, political, ideological and military principles performed by the state administration. The Inca state, like other pre-industrial imperial states, operated as an integrated system of political, economic and ideological organization, which was carried out to the furthest reaches of its domain. Conversely, archaeological studies of state domination at the provincial level provide an excellent opportunity to distinguish between general principles of administration and idiosyncrasies that could occur in the administration of the provinces.