Multiregional Perspectives on the Archaeology of the Andes During the Late Intermediate Period (c. A.D. 1000–1400)

Abstract

During the Late Intermediate period (LIP, c. A.D. 1000-1400), the central Andes experienced the decline of the Wari and Tiwanaku states, as well as processes of state formation, regional population growth, and competition culminating in the imperial expansion of the Chimú and Inka polities. The LIP holds the potential to link the archaeological features of early Andean states with the material signatures of the later ones, providing a critical means of contextualizing the intergenerational continuities and breaks in state structures and imperial strategies. The recent proliferation of LIP research and the completion of a number of regional studies permit the overview of six LIP regions and the comparison of highland and lowland patterns of political and economic organization, social complexity, and group identity.

Integrating Identities: An Innovative Bioarchaeological and Biogeochemical Approach to Analyzing the Multiplicity of Identities in the Mortuary Record

“…However, a growing body of research demonstrates that the Late Intermediate Period was much more complex, with considerable political and environmental changes throughout the Andes, including changes to settlement patterns, trade and exchange relationships, and political organization (Arkush 2008;Arkush and Tung 2013;Conlee et al 2004;Covey 2008;Kurin et al 2016). During the Late Intermediate Period in San Pedro de Atacama, formerly disparate populations consolidated into neighboring river valleys and canyons, perhaps seeking defensive positioning and safety.…”

Putting the rise of the Inca Empire within a climatic and land management context

“…Such local trends reflect more widespread movements recorded across the Andean highlands at this time. Starting around AD 1000, regional settlement patterns shifted from valley floor and lower valley slopes to higher altitudinal locations (Arkush, 2006;Covey, 2008;Bauer and Kellett, 2009). By around AD 1300, however, the Marcacocha area was directly incorporated into the growing Inca state and, by AD 1400, major imperial institutions had been established in the nearby town of Ollantaytambo.…”

Prehistoric Atacameño Ceramic Styles and Chronology Reassessed

“…Uribe (1997Uribe ( , 2002; see also Uribe and Adán 2005) has undertaken a complex reexamination of ceramic production in this area and the neighboring Alto Loa, proposing a two part ceramic sequence for the Late Intermediate Period (reflecting similar new understandings throughout the Andes; i.e. Arkush 2009; Covey 2008). The first half of the period is characterized by a decline in the frequency of ceramics found in local graves.…”