Wari Monumental Architecture: State Canons, Public Rituals, and Local Encounters in Huaro, Cusco

Bélisle V.; Zuayer H. · Journal of Field Archaeology (2026) · DOI: 10.1080/00934690.2025.2518637

Resumen

Although state expansion has often been understood in terms of violence, recent research has emphasized the importance of the development of alliances between state personnel and local populations. In Peru, the presence of Wari colonists is well documented in the Cusco region during the Middle Horizon. Excavations at Wari installations demonstrated the strong Wari identity of its occupants, but the types of encounters that the Wari had with local communities are not well documented. To address this question, we excavated at the Wari site of Kaninkunka in the Huaro Valley. Our fieldwork exposed several Wari monumental structures used for ritual purposes. The presence of a significant number of local items in these spaces suggests that members of local communities were invited to participate in Wari rituals. Rather than violence, the evidence points to ritual encounters between Wari colonists and locals, which would have been key to the development of alliances. © Trustees of Boston University 2025.