FROM TEMPLES TO HOUSES AND TEMPLES TO HUACAS: REUTILIZATION OF EARLY CEREMONIAL CENTERS IN THE ANDES
Early ceremonial architecture is closely linked to the emergence of social complexity in the Central Andes. From the Late Preceramic Period (c. 2800-1700 BCE) to the end of the Early Horizon (c. 800-200 BCE) (or the Formative Period), ceremonial centers with public architecture were the cores of social integration and served as nodes of interregional interaction. These processes culminated during Chavín phenomenon (c. 800-400 BCE), when the interaction of numerous peer polities inhabiting different monumental complexes led to changes in social organization and a shared religious ideology. However, sometime after 400 BCE, the social systems underlying early ceremonial architecture came to an end, marking a major transformation felt throughout much of the Central Andes. Many centers lost or reduced their roles in ritual activities and ceased functioning as nodes of interregional interaction. Nevertheless, the monumental architecture of these centers persisted even after their function as spaces for public rituals had ended. In some cases, these centers were carefully sealed and reoccupied as residential areas; in others, they were completely abandoned. There are also rare cases where ceremonial architecture continued to function as local centers. Strikingly, many important Formative sites were venerated in new ways by Late Intermediate Period and Late Horizon peoples, who often deposited offerings at long «abandoned» coastal and highland monuments. As the concept of «Huaquification» presented by Edward Swenson suggests, these practices can be viewed as the dynamic interplay of past human actions and the built environment as material objects. Consequently, this topic is closely related to the themes of social memory and identity–how ancient Andean societies recognized their own past and how the monuments and landscapes were entangled within it. However, the later reutilization of early ceremonial architecture in the Central Andes has not yet been sufficiently discussed. In this symposium, researchers investigating important early ceremonial centers in the Andes will present data on their later reutilization, thus presenting novel perspectives on this widespread, yet unexplored, topic.
