Description
The ceque system of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire, was perhaps the most complex indigenous ritual system in the pre-Columbian Americas. From a center known as the Coricancha (Golden Enclosure) or the Temple of the Sun, a system of 328 huacas (shrines) arranged along 42 ceques (lines) radiated out toward the mountains surrounding the city. This elaborate network, maintained by ayllus (kin groups) that made offerings to the shrines in their area, organized the city both temporally and spiritually.
From 1990 to 1995, Brian Bauer directed a major project to document the ceque system of Cusco. In this book, he synthesizes extensive archaeological survey work with archival research into the Inca social groups of the Cusco region, their land holdings, and the positions of the shrines to offer a comprehensive, empirical description of the ceque system. Moving well beyond previous interpretations, Bauer constructs a convincing model of the system's physical form and its relation to the social, political, and territorial organization of Cusco.
About the Author
One of the leading authorities on the Inca, Brian S. Bauer is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Reviews
A major contribution to Andean studies... Bauer not only provides a grand synthesis of what is known about the ceque system, but also provides new description, fieldwork, and interpretation. The book will have a wide audience." oClark L. Erickson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Book Information
ISBN 9780292729018
Author Brian S. Bauer
Format Paperback
Page Count 263
Imprint University of Texas Press
Publisher University of Texas Press
Weight(grams) 454g
