Spatial data integration is quickly becoming an important topic for researchers employing high de... more Spatial data integration is quickly becoming an important topic for researchers employing high density survey methods (Alshawabkeh and Haala 2004, Lambers et al. 2007) and there are many organizations seeking methods for incorporating spatial data, collected through multiple ...
The discussion chapter contextualizes the essays in this volume on the scholarship of ritual and ... more The discussion chapter contextualizes the essays in this volume on the scholarship of ritual and archaic states. It highlights the importance of ritual as an inherent part of a cultural narrative in past and present societies alike, and how, by studying ritual and its relationship to cultural practices and social organization, we can better understand diverse social groups. The review of the chapters stresses how the authors provide a variety of methodological and interpretive tools. These include the cautious use of ethnographic and ethnohistorical analogy, phenomenological recreations–based universals of human perception and movement, and minute analysis of the discards of ritual and performances, from trash to valued items placed with the deceased.
A comparison of the sacred architecture and experience at Poverty Point, Lousiana (1600 BC) and B... more A comparison of the sacred architecture and experience at Poverty Point, Lousiana (1600 BC) and Burning Man, NV.
Three dimensional reconstruction of a Tiwanaku monument for the purpose of understanding the stru... more Three dimensional reconstruction of a Tiwanaku monument for the purpose of understanding the structure and experience of process to and through the structure.
Table of contents, preface and introduction to edited volume Visions of Tiwanaku.
For full book ... more Table of contents, preface and introduction to edited volume Visions of Tiwanaku. For full book or specific chapters, please order from http://cotsenpress.directfrompublisher.com/catalog/book/visions-tiwanaku
This volume, the second in a series of studies on the archaeology of the Titicaca Basin, serves a... more This volume, the second in a series of studies on the archaeology of the Titicaca Basin, serves as an excellent springboard for broader discussions of the roles of ritual, authority, coercion, and the intensification of resources and trade for the development of archaic states worldwide.
Over the last hundred years, scholars have painstakingly pieced together fragments of the incredible cultural history of the Titicaca Basin, an area that encompasses over 50,000 square kilometers, achieving a basic understanding of settlement patterns and chronology. While large-scale surveys need to continue and areas will need to be revisited to further refine chronologies and knowledge of site-formation processes, the maturation of the field now allows archaeologists to invest energy fruitfully in individual locations and specialized topics. The contributions in this volume focus on the southern region of the Basin, the area that would become the core of the Tiwanaku heartland. Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction by Alexei Vranich and Charles S. Stanish Chapter 2 - Jésus de Machaca before and after Tiwanaku: A Background to Recent Archaeology at Khonkho Wankane and Pukara de Khonkho by John W. Janusek Chapter 3 - Late Formative Period Spatial Organization at Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia by Scott C. Smith Chapter 4 - Excavations of a Late Formative Patio Group at Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia by Erik J. Marsh Chapter 5 - The Stone Stelae of Khonkho Wankane: Inventory, Brief Description, and Seriation by Arik T. Ohnstad Chapter 6 - Pukara de Khonkho: Preliminary Analysis of a Pacajes Hilltop Settlement by Jennifer M. Zovar Chapter 7 - Demographic Dimensions of Tiwanaku Urbanism by Matthew Bandy Chapter 8 - What Would Celebrants See? Sky, Landscape, and Settlement Planning in the Late Formative Southern Titicaca Basin by Leonardo Benítez Chapter 9 - State of the Fish: Changing Patterns in Fish Exploitation and Consumption during Tiwanaku (AD 400–1100) in Iwawi, Bolivia by José M. Capriles Chapter 10 - The Tiwanaku of A. F. Bandelier by Nick Bentley Chapter 11 - A Radiocarbon Chronology of the Pumapunku Complex and a Reassessment of the Development of Tiwanaku, Bolivia by Jason Yaeger and Alexei Vranich Chapter 12 - Reexamining Tiwanaku’s Urban Renewal through Ground-Penetrating Radar and Excavation: The Results of Three Field Seasons by Michele L. Koons Chapter 13 - Excavations and Analysis of Human Skeletal Remains from a New Dedicatory Offering at Tiwanaku by John W. Verano Chapter 14 - Human Skeletal Remains from Bandelier’s 1895 Expedition to the Island of the Sun by Christina Torres-Rouff
“What was Tiwanaku?” This question was posed to a select group of scholars that gathered for an i... more “What was Tiwanaku?” This question was posed to a select group of scholars that gathered for an intensive two-day conference at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. For over half a millennium, the megalithic ruins in the highlands of the Andes mountains have stood as proxy for the desires and ambitions of various empires and political agendas; in the last hundred years, scholars have attempted to answer this question by interpreting the shattered remains from a distant preliterate past. The conference pooled the decades of experience of a dozen leading scholars together with the recent field data of junior scholars (published separately in Volumes 2 and 3 of Advances in Titicaca Basin Archaeology).
For over half a millennium, the megalithic ruins of Tiwanaku in the highlands of the Andes mountains have stood as proxy for the desires and ambitions of various empires and political agendas; in the last hundred years, scholars have attempted to answer the question “What was Tiwanaku?” by examining these shattered remains from a distant preliterate past. This volume contains twelve papers from senior scholars, whose contributions discuss subjects from the farthest points of the southern Andes, where the iconic artifacts of Tiwanaku appear as offerings to the departed, to the heralded ruins weathered by time and burdened by centuries of interpretation and speculation. Visions of Tiwanaku stays true to its name by providing a platform for each scholar to present an informed view on the nature of this enigmatic place that seems so familiar, yet continues to elude understanding by falling outside our established models for early cities and states.
Political Landscapes of Capital Cities investigates the processes of transformation of the natura... more Political Landscapes of Capital Cities investigates the processes of transformation of the natural landscape into the culturally constructed and ideologically defined political environments of capital cities. In this spatially inclusive, socially dynamic interpretation, an interdisciplinary group of authors including archaeologists, anthropologists, and art historians uses the methodology put forth in Adam T. Smith’s The Political Landscape: Constellations of Authority in Early Complex Polities to expose the intimate associations between human-made environments and the natural landscape that accommodate the sociopolitical needs of governmental authority.
Political Landscapes of Capital Cities blends the historical, political, and cultural narratives of capital cities such as Bangkok, Cusco, Rome, and Tehran with a careful visual analysis, hinging on the methodological tools of not only architectural and urban design but also cultural, historiographical, and anthropological studies. The collection provides further ways to conceive of how processes of urbanization, monumentalization, ritualization, naturalization, and unification affected capitals differently without losing grasp of local distinctive architectural and spatial features. The essays also articulate the many complex political and ideological agendas of a diverse set of sovereign entities that planned, constructed, displayed, and performed their societal ideals in the spaces of their capitals, ultimately confirming that political authority is profoundly spatial.
Contributors: Jelena Bogdanović, Jessica Joyce Christie, Talinn Grigor, Eulogio Guzmán, Gregor Kalas, Stephanie Pilat, Melody Rod-ari, Anne Toxey, Alexei Vranich
Spatial data integration is quickly becoming an important topic for researchers employing high de... more Spatial data integration is quickly becoming an important topic for researchers employing high density survey methods (Alshawabkeh and Haala 2004, Lambers et al. 2007) and there are many organizations seeking methods for incorporating spatial data, collected through multiple ...
The discussion chapter contextualizes the essays in this volume on the scholarship of ritual and ... more The discussion chapter contextualizes the essays in this volume on the scholarship of ritual and archaic states. It highlights the importance of ritual as an inherent part of a cultural narrative in past and present societies alike, and how, by studying ritual and its relationship to cultural practices and social organization, we can better understand diverse social groups. The review of the chapters stresses how the authors provide a variety of methodological and interpretive tools. These include the cautious use of ethnographic and ethnohistorical analogy, phenomenological recreations–based universals of human perception and movement, and minute analysis of the discards of ritual and performances, from trash to valued items placed with the deceased.
A comparison of the sacred architecture and experience at Poverty Point, Lousiana (1600 BC) and B... more A comparison of the sacred architecture and experience at Poverty Point, Lousiana (1600 BC) and Burning Man, NV.
Three dimensional reconstruction of a Tiwanaku monument for the purpose of understanding the stru... more Three dimensional reconstruction of a Tiwanaku monument for the purpose of understanding the structure and experience of process to and through the structure.
Table of contents, preface and introduction to edited volume Visions of Tiwanaku.
For full book ... more Table of contents, preface and introduction to edited volume Visions of Tiwanaku. For full book or specific chapters, please order from http://cotsenpress.directfrompublisher.com/catalog/book/visions-tiwanaku
This volume, the second in a series of studies on the archaeology of the Titicaca Basin, serves a... more This volume, the second in a series of studies on the archaeology of the Titicaca Basin, serves as an excellent springboard for broader discussions of the roles of ritual, authority, coercion, and the intensification of resources and trade for the development of archaic states worldwide.
Over the last hundred years, scholars have painstakingly pieced together fragments of the incredible cultural history of the Titicaca Basin, an area that encompasses over 50,000 square kilometers, achieving a basic understanding of settlement patterns and chronology. While large-scale surveys need to continue and areas will need to be revisited to further refine chronologies and knowledge of site-formation processes, the maturation of the field now allows archaeologists to invest energy fruitfully in individual locations and specialized topics. The contributions in this volume focus on the southern region of the Basin, the area that would become the core of the Tiwanaku heartland. Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction by Alexei Vranich and Charles S. Stanish Chapter 2 - Jésus de Machaca before and after Tiwanaku: A Background to Recent Archaeology at Khonkho Wankane and Pukara de Khonkho by John W. Janusek Chapter 3 - Late Formative Period Spatial Organization at Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia by Scott C. Smith Chapter 4 - Excavations of a Late Formative Patio Group at Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia by Erik J. Marsh Chapter 5 - The Stone Stelae of Khonkho Wankane: Inventory, Brief Description, and Seriation by Arik T. Ohnstad Chapter 6 - Pukara de Khonkho: Preliminary Analysis of a Pacajes Hilltop Settlement by Jennifer M. Zovar Chapter 7 - Demographic Dimensions of Tiwanaku Urbanism by Matthew Bandy Chapter 8 - What Would Celebrants See? Sky, Landscape, and Settlement Planning in the Late Formative Southern Titicaca Basin by Leonardo Benítez Chapter 9 - State of the Fish: Changing Patterns in Fish Exploitation and Consumption during Tiwanaku (AD 400–1100) in Iwawi, Bolivia by José M. Capriles Chapter 10 - The Tiwanaku of A. F. Bandelier by Nick Bentley Chapter 11 - A Radiocarbon Chronology of the Pumapunku Complex and a Reassessment of the Development of Tiwanaku, Bolivia by Jason Yaeger and Alexei Vranich Chapter 12 - Reexamining Tiwanaku’s Urban Renewal through Ground-Penetrating Radar and Excavation: The Results of Three Field Seasons by Michele L. Koons Chapter 13 - Excavations and Analysis of Human Skeletal Remains from a New Dedicatory Offering at Tiwanaku by John W. Verano Chapter 14 - Human Skeletal Remains from Bandelier’s 1895 Expedition to the Island of the Sun by Christina Torres-Rouff
“What was Tiwanaku?” This question was posed to a select group of scholars that gathered for an i... more “What was Tiwanaku?” This question was posed to a select group of scholars that gathered for an intensive two-day conference at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. For over half a millennium, the megalithic ruins in the highlands of the Andes mountains have stood as proxy for the desires and ambitions of various empires and political agendas; in the last hundred years, scholars have attempted to answer this question by interpreting the shattered remains from a distant preliterate past. The conference pooled the decades of experience of a dozen leading scholars together with the recent field data of junior scholars (published separately in Volumes 2 and 3 of Advances in Titicaca Basin Archaeology).
For over half a millennium, the megalithic ruins of Tiwanaku in the highlands of the Andes mountains have stood as proxy for the desires and ambitions of various empires and political agendas; in the last hundred years, scholars have attempted to answer the question “What was Tiwanaku?” by examining these shattered remains from a distant preliterate past. This volume contains twelve papers from senior scholars, whose contributions discuss subjects from the farthest points of the southern Andes, where the iconic artifacts of Tiwanaku appear as offerings to the departed, to the heralded ruins weathered by time and burdened by centuries of interpretation and speculation. Visions of Tiwanaku stays true to its name by providing a platform for each scholar to present an informed view on the nature of this enigmatic place that seems so familiar, yet continues to elude understanding by falling outside our established models for early cities and states.
Political Landscapes of Capital Cities investigates the processes of transformation of the natura... more Political Landscapes of Capital Cities investigates the processes of transformation of the natural landscape into the culturally constructed and ideologically defined political environments of capital cities. In this spatially inclusive, socially dynamic interpretation, an interdisciplinary group of authors including archaeologists, anthropologists, and art historians uses the methodology put forth in Adam T. Smith’s The Political Landscape: Constellations of Authority in Early Complex Polities to expose the intimate associations between human-made environments and the natural landscape that accommodate the sociopolitical needs of governmental authority.
Political Landscapes of Capital Cities blends the historical, political, and cultural narratives of capital cities such as Bangkok, Cusco, Rome, and Tehran with a careful visual analysis, hinging on the methodological tools of not only architectural and urban design but also cultural, historiographical, and anthropological studies. The collection provides further ways to conceive of how processes of urbanization, monumentalization, ritualization, naturalization, and unification affected capitals differently without losing grasp of local distinctive architectural and spatial features. The essays also articulate the many complex political and ideological agendas of a diverse set of sovereign entities that planned, constructed, displayed, and performed their societal ideals in the spaces of their capitals, ultimately confirming that political authority is profoundly spatial.
Contributors: Jelena Bogdanović, Jessica Joyce Christie, Talinn Grigor, Eulogio Guzmán, Gregor Kalas, Stephanie Pilat, Melody Rod-ari, Anne Toxey, Alexei Vranich
On the Road to Reconstructing the Past. Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA). Proceedings of the 36th International Conference. Budapest, April 2-6, 2008., 2011
Between 2005 and 2007, a wide range of digital geospatial data were collected to document the pre... more Between 2005 and 2007, a wide range of digital geospatial data were collected to document the pre-Columbian site of Tiwanaku, an actively excavated UNESCO World Heritage site on the Bolivian Altiplano. Methods of data collection at this site include ground-based geophysics, terrestrial laser scanning, digital aerial photogrammetry, and total station surveys. In addition, existing sources of spatial information were collated and digitized. These data originate in various native formats, coordinate systems, and scales, and were collected during multiple epochs across several disciplines. This integrated geospatial model functions as a single spatial database in which information gathered at Tiwanaku during the last century, as well as data collection in the future, can be combined in a compatible and accessible manner. This paper summarizes the efforts of integrating geospatial data by co-referencing to a common coordinate system and converting to a universal file type for manipulation within a single software package.
Tiwanaku was a civilization that flourished in the Lake Titicaca Basin (present-day Bolivia) betw... more Tiwanaku was a civilization that flourished in the Lake Titicaca Basin (present-day Bolivia) between 500 and 1000 CE. At its apogee, Tiwanaku controlled the lake's southern shores and influenced certain areas of the Southern Andes. There is a considerable amount of archaeological and anthropological data concerning the Tiwanaku culture; however, our understanding of the population of the site of Tiwanaku is limited. To understand the population dynamics at different stages of the Tiwanaku cultural development, we analyzed 17 low-coverage genomes from individuals dated between 300 and 1500 CE. We found that the population from the Lake Titicaca Basin remained genetically unchanged throughout more than 1200 years, indicating that significant cultural and political changes were not associated with large scale population movements. In contrast, individuals excavated from Tiwanaku's ritual core were highly heterogeneous, some with genetic ancestry from as far away as the Amazon, supporting the proposition of foreign presence at the site. However, mixed-ancestry individuals' presence suggests they were local descendants of incomers from afar rather than captives or visiting pilgrims. A number of human offerings from the Akapana Platform dating to ca. 950 CE mark the end of active construction and maintenance of the monumental core and the wane of Tiwanaku culture.
The ruins of Tiwanaku (A.D. 500–950), in the modern republic of Bolivia, present an archaeologica... more The ruins of Tiwanaku (A.D. 500–950), in the modern republic of Bolivia, present an archaeological challenge owing to intense looting during the colonial period that effectively demolished the site. One building in particular, known as the Pumapunku, was described by Spanish conquistadors and travelers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as a wondrous, though unfinished, building with gateways and windows carved from single blocks. Unparalleled in the pre-Colombian New World, the craftsmanship of this masonry has long been considered the architectural apogee of Andean pre-Colombian lithic technology. Unfortunately, during the last 500 years, treasure hunters have ransacked this building to the point that none of approximately shattered remains of 150 blocks of the standing architecture are to be found in their original place. Over the last century and a half, several different scholars have carefully measured the shattered architecture and even managed to join several fragments to form complete pieces. This research revisited these historic field notes with a view to transforming this century and a half of documentation into solid 3D form. These measurements were entered by hand into an architectural modeling program; the virtual form was subsequently printed in 3D form at 4% reduced scale. Unlike large architectural pieces — or notes or models on a computer screen — 3D-printed pieces can be manipulated quickly and intuitively, allowing researchers to try combinations and seek connections rapidly, turning over pieces and testing possible fits. This tactile engagement, along with the ability to quickly try out combinations of the 3D-printed pieces, led to fresh and often unexpected insights. Once refined and simplified, this methodology, was demonstrated to the indigenous site managers who were provided with a full copy of the printed architectural fragments with a view to continuing research and to present the work to visitors, stakeholders and other scholars.
This paper revives a fascinating debate: did a drought start before, during, or after the collaps... more This paper revives a fascinating debate: did a drought start before, during, or after the collapse of the Andean polity of Tiwanaku? Here we present an alternate age model that highlights the real issue: the data from Lake Orurillo, no matter the age model, are too imprecise to address the question. The authors neglect the significance of four-century error ranges (95% probability) for a drought that lasted a single century, according to their estimates. They are content to treat an imprecise correlation between drought and collapse as a causal relationship. Future efforts will require much greater attention to refining both paleoclimate and cultural chronologies, which is a necessary first step in understanding complex episodes of humaneenvironment interaction.
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Papers by Alexei Vranich
Books by Alexei Vranich
For full book or specific chapters, please order from
http://cotsenpress.directfrompublisher.com/catalog/book/visions-tiwanaku
Over the last hundred years, scholars have painstakingly pieced together fragments of the incredible cultural history of the Titicaca Basin, an area that encompasses over 50,000 square kilometers, achieving a basic understanding of settlement patterns and chronology. While large-scale surveys need to continue and areas will need to be revisited to further refine chronologies and knowledge of site-formation processes, the maturation of the field now allows archaeologists to invest energy fruitfully in individual locations and specialized topics. The contributions in this volume focus on the southern region of the Basin, the area that would become the core of the Tiwanaku heartland.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction by Alexei Vranich and Charles S. Stanish
Chapter 2 - Jésus de Machaca before and after Tiwanaku: A Background to Recent Archaeology at Khonkho Wankane and Pukara de Khonkho by John W. Janusek
Chapter 3 - Late Formative Period Spatial Organization at Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia by Scott C. Smith
Chapter 4 - Excavations of a Late Formative Patio Group at Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia by Erik J. Marsh
Chapter 5 - The Stone Stelae of Khonkho Wankane: Inventory, Brief Description, and Seriation by Arik T. Ohnstad
Chapter 6 - Pukara de Khonkho: Preliminary Analysis of a Pacajes Hilltop Settlement by Jennifer M. Zovar
Chapter 7 - Demographic Dimensions of Tiwanaku Urbanism by Matthew Bandy
Chapter 8 - What Would Celebrants See? Sky, Landscape, and Settlement Planning in the Late Formative Southern Titicaca Basin by Leonardo Benítez
Chapter 9 - State of the Fish: Changing Patterns in Fish Exploitation and Consumption during Tiwanaku (AD 400–1100) in Iwawi, Bolivia by José M. Capriles
Chapter 10 - The Tiwanaku of A. F. Bandelier by Nick Bentley
Chapter 11 - A Radiocarbon Chronology of the Pumapunku Complex and a Reassessment of the Development of Tiwanaku, Bolivia by Jason Yaeger and Alexei Vranich
Chapter 12 - Reexamining Tiwanaku’s Urban Renewal through Ground-Penetrating Radar and Excavation: The Results of Three Field Seasons by Michele L. Koons
Chapter 13 - Excavations and Analysis of Human Skeletal Remains from a New Dedicatory Offering at Tiwanaku by John W. Verano
Chapter 14 - Human Skeletal Remains from Bandelier’s 1895 Expedition to the Island of the Sun by Christina Torres-Rouff
For over half a millennium, the megalithic ruins of Tiwanaku in the highlands of the Andes mountains have stood as proxy for the desires and ambitions of various empires and political agendas; in the last hundred years, scholars have attempted to answer the question “What was Tiwanaku?” by examining these shattered remains from a distant preliterate past. This volume contains twelve papers from senior scholars, whose contributions discuss subjects from the farthest points of the southern Andes, where the iconic artifacts of Tiwanaku appear as offerings to the departed, to the heralded ruins weathered by time and burdened by centuries of interpretation and speculation. Visions of Tiwanaku stays true to its name by providing a platform for each scholar to present an informed view on the nature of this enigmatic place that seems so familiar, yet continues to elude understanding by falling outside our established models for early cities and states.
Other by Alexei Vranich
Political Landscapes of Capital Cities blends the historical, political, and cultural narratives of capital cities such as Bangkok, Cusco, Rome, and Tehran with a careful visual analysis, hinging on the methodological tools of not only architectural and urban design but also cultural, historiographical, and anthropological studies. The collection provides further ways to conceive of how processes of urbanization, monumentalization, ritualization, naturalization, and unification affected capitals differently without losing grasp of local distinctive architectural and spatial features. The essays also articulate the many complex political and ideological agendas of a diverse set of sovereign entities that planned, constructed, displayed, and performed their societal ideals in the spaces of their capitals, ultimately confirming that political authority is profoundly spatial.
Contributors: Jelena Bogdanović, Jessica Joyce Christie, Talinn Grigor, Eulogio Guzmán, Gregor Kalas, Stephanie Pilat, Melody Rod-ari, Anne Toxey, Alexei Vranich
BOOK REVIEWS: https://upcolorado.com/images/PoliticalLandscapesofCapitalCities_JournalofUrbanCulturalStudies.pdf
http://www.choiceconnect.org/webclipping/200396/t0vxigmc9a33tdhk43mwnu1cb5f5k9n569pcd3f_383k_0v4z9
https://www.academia.edu/35448890/Multiple_landscapes_of_capital_cities
For full book or specific chapters, please order from
http://cotsenpress.directfrompublisher.com/catalog/book/visions-tiwanaku
Over the last hundred years, scholars have painstakingly pieced together fragments of the incredible cultural history of the Titicaca Basin, an area that encompasses over 50,000 square kilometers, achieving a basic understanding of settlement patterns and chronology. While large-scale surveys need to continue and areas will need to be revisited to further refine chronologies and knowledge of site-formation processes, the maturation of the field now allows archaeologists to invest energy fruitfully in individual locations and specialized topics. The contributions in this volume focus on the southern region of the Basin, the area that would become the core of the Tiwanaku heartland.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction by Alexei Vranich and Charles S. Stanish
Chapter 2 - Jésus de Machaca before and after Tiwanaku: A Background to Recent Archaeology at Khonkho Wankane and Pukara de Khonkho by John W. Janusek
Chapter 3 - Late Formative Period Spatial Organization at Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia by Scott C. Smith
Chapter 4 - Excavations of a Late Formative Patio Group at Khonkho Wankane, Bolivia by Erik J. Marsh
Chapter 5 - The Stone Stelae of Khonkho Wankane: Inventory, Brief Description, and Seriation by Arik T. Ohnstad
Chapter 6 - Pukara de Khonkho: Preliminary Analysis of a Pacajes Hilltop Settlement by Jennifer M. Zovar
Chapter 7 - Demographic Dimensions of Tiwanaku Urbanism by Matthew Bandy
Chapter 8 - What Would Celebrants See? Sky, Landscape, and Settlement Planning in the Late Formative Southern Titicaca Basin by Leonardo Benítez
Chapter 9 - State of the Fish: Changing Patterns in Fish Exploitation and Consumption during Tiwanaku (AD 400–1100) in Iwawi, Bolivia by José M. Capriles
Chapter 10 - The Tiwanaku of A. F. Bandelier by Nick Bentley
Chapter 11 - A Radiocarbon Chronology of the Pumapunku Complex and a Reassessment of the Development of Tiwanaku, Bolivia by Jason Yaeger and Alexei Vranich
Chapter 12 - Reexamining Tiwanaku’s Urban Renewal through Ground-Penetrating Radar and Excavation: The Results of Three Field Seasons by Michele L. Koons
Chapter 13 - Excavations and Analysis of Human Skeletal Remains from a New Dedicatory Offering at Tiwanaku by John W. Verano
Chapter 14 - Human Skeletal Remains from Bandelier’s 1895 Expedition to the Island of the Sun by Christina Torres-Rouff
For over half a millennium, the megalithic ruins of Tiwanaku in the highlands of the Andes mountains have stood as proxy for the desires and ambitions of various empires and political agendas; in the last hundred years, scholars have attempted to answer the question “What was Tiwanaku?” by examining these shattered remains from a distant preliterate past. This volume contains twelve papers from senior scholars, whose contributions discuss subjects from the farthest points of the southern Andes, where the iconic artifacts of Tiwanaku appear as offerings to the departed, to the heralded ruins weathered by time and burdened by centuries of interpretation and speculation. Visions of Tiwanaku stays true to its name by providing a platform for each scholar to present an informed view on the nature of this enigmatic place that seems so familiar, yet continues to elude understanding by falling outside our established models for early cities and states.
Political Landscapes of Capital Cities blends the historical, political, and cultural narratives of capital cities such as Bangkok, Cusco, Rome, and Tehran with a careful visual analysis, hinging on the methodological tools of not only architectural and urban design but also cultural, historiographical, and anthropological studies. The collection provides further ways to conceive of how processes of urbanization, monumentalization, ritualization, naturalization, and unification affected capitals differently without losing grasp of local distinctive architectural and spatial features. The essays also articulate the many complex political and ideological agendas of a diverse set of sovereign entities that planned, constructed, displayed, and performed their societal ideals in the spaces of their capitals, ultimately confirming that political authority is profoundly spatial.
Contributors: Jelena Bogdanović, Jessica Joyce Christie, Talinn Grigor, Eulogio Guzmán, Gregor Kalas, Stephanie Pilat, Melody Rod-ari, Anne Toxey, Alexei Vranich
BOOK REVIEWS: https://upcolorado.com/images/PoliticalLandscapesofCapitalCities_JournalofUrbanCulturalStudies.pdf
http://www.choiceconnect.org/webclipping/200396/t0vxigmc9a33tdhk43mwnu1cb5f5k9n569pcd3f_383k_0v4z9
https://www.academia.edu/35448890/Multiple_landscapes_of_capital_cities
anthropological data concerning the Tiwanaku culture; however, our understanding of the population of the site of Tiwanaku is limited. To understand the population dynamics at different stages of the Tiwanaku cultural development, we analyzed 17 low-coverage genomes from
individuals dated between 300 and 1500 CE. We found that the population from the Lake Titicaca Basin remained genetically unchanged throughout more than 1200 years, indicating that significant
cultural and political changes were not associated with large scale population movements. In contrast, individuals excavated from Tiwanaku's ritual core were highly heterogeneous, some with
genetic ancestry from as far away as the Amazon, supporting the proposition of foreign presence at the site. However, mixed-ancestry individuals' presence suggests they were local descendants of incomers from afar rather than captives or visiting pilgrims. A number of human offerings from the Akapana Platform dating to ca. 950 CE mark the end of active construction and maintenance of the monumental core and the wane of Tiwanaku culture.