War, Spectacle, and Politics in the Ancient Andes

This book examines the varied faces of war, politics, and violent spectacle over thousands of years in the pre-Columbian Andes.

Elizabeth N. Arkush (Author)

9781316510964, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 March 2022

350 pages
26.2 x 18.4 x 2.2 cm, 0.734 kg

'… a scholarly, incredibly detailed analysis … Essential.' C. C. Kolb, Choice

Warfare in the pre-Columbian Andes took on many forms, from inter-village raids to campaigns of conquest. Andean societies also created spectacular performances and artwork alluding to war – acts of symbolism that worked as political rhetoric while drawing on ancient beliefs about supernatural beings, warriors, and the dead. In this book, Elizabeth Arkush disentangles Andean warfare from Andean war-related spectacle and offers insights into how both evolved over time. Synthesizing the rich archaeological record of fortifications, skeletal injury, and material evidence, she presents fresh visions of war and politics among the Moche, Chimú, Inca, and pre-Inca societies of the conflict-ridden Andean highlands. The changing configurations of Andean power and violence serve as case studies to illustrate a sophisticated general model of the different forms of warfare in pre-modern societies. Arkush's book makes the complex pre-history of Andean warfare accessible by providing a birds-eye view of its major patterns and contrasts.

1. Introduction
2. Severity and spectacle: The nature of our evidence
3. Toward a better model of war
4. Warrior lords: Moche war and status rivalry
5. Us versus them: Threat and solidarity in the late intermediate period highlands
6. The invention of conquest: Chimú and Inca war and coercion
7. Conclusions.

Subject Areas: Archaeology by period / region [HDD], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], History of the Americas [HBJK]