Advances in Titicaca Basin Archaeology–III (Volume 51) (Memoirs)

The focus of this volume is the northern Titicaca Basin, an area once belonging to the quarter of the Inka Empire called Collasuyu. The recent explosion of archaeological projects around Lake Titicaca is reflected in the data-packed chapters of this new book. The original settlers around the lake had to adapt to living at more than 12,000 feet, but as this volume shows so well, this high-altitude environment supported a very long developmental sequence that climaxed in impressive villages with sunken courts, and towns and cities with fascinating sculptures and public buildings. The new data reported in this book come from a series of projects that will not only advance our understanding of sociopolitical evolution within Peru and Bolivia but well beyond. Every period, from the Early Archaic period onward, is becoming better known from the flurry of recent surveys and excavations. From this book, we learn a wide array of new things about key sites like Taraco, Pukara, Balsaspata, Qaluyu, Cancha Cancha Asiruni, Arapa, and Huancanewichinka. Lavishly illustrated and supplying data integral to understanding Andean prehistory, this is a must buy for Andeanists as well as others interested in the rise of sociopolitical complexity.