Andean textiles

In this paper we explore the iconography of Tiwanaku and its role to integrate the frontiers zones of South Central Andean area like the Azapa valley and San Pedro de Atacama oasis in northern Chile. We think that in the Tiwanaku expansive process the sanctions to help central hierarchy and the strategies employed to integrate peripherical zones had an ideological and political nature. The material expression of this was the iconography of lithic sculpture of site in Titicaca altiplano that it was displayed on portable objects, creating the interaction and influence sphere of Tiwanaku. Based on this idea we studied several archaeological collections from southern Perú, central and south Bolivia and northern Chile. Particularly, we focus on textile and pottery study of Azapa valley and San Pedro de Atacama oasis, to determine the center periphery integration grade -territorial or hegemonic- during the Middle period.

Until now, the cultural sequence of San Pedro de Atacama -principally of pottery and cemeteries-, is the most important referent to the archaeological study of Atacama territory. Nevertheless, the researche increase since sixties in the Río Loa region -especially of domestic sites-, enlarge and change the peception of circumpunian late phehistory displaying a break of San Pedro culture continuity, because a post Tiwanaku altiplanic presence and the particular character of "atacameño" in the Loa region. In this sense, this break have meant significant differences to try and understand this moments in both zones, associated to a useful Historic Cultural approach, but its concepts needs revision. Therefore, continuing the experience in other localities (i.e., Turi, Caspana and Quillagua), we begin to discuss the Atacama cultural unit and its particularities since the revision of San Pedro later phases: Yaye, Solor and Catarpe, through systematics studies of materials collections, funerary sites and villages of Late Intermediate Period.

In order to characterize the formative populations of Quillagua (Lower Loa), textile collections from certain sites of the cultural traditions from Arica, Tarapacá and Loa/San Pedro, were studied to obtain a general view of the artifactual particularities of each zone. With this information, the available textile data of the period was systematized _identifying analysis units through uniform criteria_ enabling us to establish possible relationships between the above mentioned cultural regions and the formative contexts of Quillagua, thus incorporating the locality into the regional formative process.

Although the knotted cord texts known as khipus have been created in the Andes for over a millennium (ca. AD 950-1950), their historical philology has been little understood. This study, based on original archival and ethnographic research, analyzes hybrid khipu/alphabetic texts known as "khipu boards," examining their development in colonial Peru, and their role in twentieth-century Andean rituals. Particular attention is paid to a previously unknown sacred manuscript, the Entablo, from the community of San Pedro de Casta, Peru, which describes how villagers used khipu boards in their annual religious ceremonies until the 1950s. This study reveals new insights into the social and symbolic nature of post-Inka khipus as texts, particularly with reference to gender, place, and knowledge. Aunque los cordones anudados conocidos como "khipus" se han creado en los Andes durante más de un milenio (ca. 850-1950), su filología histórica ha sido poco entendida. Basado en una investigación etnográfica y de archivo original, este estudio analiza textos híbridos khipu/ alfabéticos conocidos como "khipu tabla", examinando su desarolla en el Perú colonial y su papel en los rituales andinos del siglo XX. Se presta especial atención a un manuscrito sagrado previamente desconocido, el Entablo, de la comunidad de San Pedro de Casta, Perú, que describe cómo los aldeanos usaban las khipu tablas en sus ceremonias religiosas anuales hasta la década de 1950. Este estudio revela nuevas ideas sobre la naturaleza social y simbólica del post-Inka khipus como textos, particularmente con referencia al género, el lugar, y el conocimiento.