The Late Prehistoric Political Economy of the Calchagui Valley, Argentina

D'Altroy博士和他的同事们在秘鲁高地上曼塔罗山谷的考古遗址进行了挖掘。他们特别关注了两个文化时期：大约在公元1350-1460年的万卡二世和1460-1553年的万卡三世。在早期阶段，万卡社会被组织成交战酋邦，以大型社区作为人口和政治中心。然而，在万卡三世时期，这些群体被平定并并入印卡帝国。定居点被转移到较低的非设防地点，想必政治组织也发生了变化。新的第二阶段的实地研究是基于这些先前的结果。挖掘将集中在万卡II和III遗址，以收集关于帝国占领导致万卡地区政治经济转变的数据。这些地点将包括一个土著旺卡中心，分别来自旺卡II和III，一个因卡省省会，以及一个附属的因卡定居点。挖掘将集中在公共和精英建筑上。对回收材料的分析——植物遗骸、动物骨骼、陶瓷、石器、金属和纺织品——将提供有关帝国管理、精英机构的生存支持以及征服者和被征服者之间的政治/仪式关系的信息。这项研究很重要，因为它将深入了解大型政治组织是如何形成的，以及强大的城市精英与农村主体之间的关系。这种区别今天仍然存在，也是发展中世界许多国家的特点。许多国家面临的政治和经济问题，如菲律宾，正是受到这些因素的影响。考古学在这种情况下是有用的，因为它提供了一个极好的长期视角。

Dr. D'Altroy and colleagues have conducted excavations at archaeological sites located in the Upper Mantaro Valley in the highlands of Peru. In particular, they focussed on two cultural periods: Wanka II which dates from ca. A.D. 1350-1460 and Wanka III, from 1460-1553. During the earlier phase, the Wanka societies were organized into warring chiefdoms with large communities serving as population and political centers. During Wanka III times, however, these groups were pacified and incorporated into the Inka empire. Settlements were shifted to lower unfortified locations, and presumably, political organization was altered. A new second phase of field research is based on these prior results. Excavation will focus on both Wanka II and III sites to collect data on the transformations that occurred in the political economy of the Wanka region as a result of imperial occupation. Sites will include one indigenous Wanka center each from Wanka II and III, an Inka provincial capital, and a subsidiary Inka settlement. The excavations will focus on public and elite architecture. Analyses of recovered materials - plant remains, animal bones, ceramics, lithics, metals, and textiles - will provide information on imperial administration, the subsistence support for elite institutions, and the political/ceremonial relations between conqueror and conquered. This research is important because it will provide insight into how large political organizations are formed and how powerful urban elites relate to rural subjects. This distinction exists today and characterizes many nations in the developing world. The political and economic problems faced by many nations, such as the Philippines, are influenced by just such factors. Archaeology is useful in such a context because it provides an excellent long term perspective.