Architecture and Authority: A Spatial Analysis of Power and Control at Three Spanish Colonial Silver Refineries (Puno, Peru)

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial layout of three Spanish colonial silver refineries from the western Lake Titicaca Basin of southern Peru. These sites, located approximately 15 km from the city of Puno, Peru, were operated by Indigenous laborers throughout the Middle Colonial period (AD 1600–1800). Space syntax analysis is employed to evaluate the degree of control and access across these sites, examining the location of dormitories, storage buildings, administrative patios, work areas, entrances, and exits. Using both intra- and inter-site comparisons, results indicate the presence of restricted and segregated areas at all three refineries. However, inter-site comparisons highlight the integrated nature of the smaller, more rural refineries, revealing how control of labor manifested in diverse ways at the local scale.

Este artículo examina las disposiciones espaciales de tres refinerías de plata coloniales españolas de la cuenca occidental del Lago Titicaca en el sur del Perú. Estos sitios, ubicados aproximadamente a 15 km de la ciudad de Puno, Perú, fueron operados por trabajadores Indígenas durante el período colonial medio (1600–1800 dC). Se emplea el análisis de sintaxis espacial para evaluar el grado de control y acceso a través de estos sitios, examinando la ubicación de dormitorios, edificios de almacenamiento, patios administrativos, áreas de trabajo, entradas y salidas. Basado en comparaciones tanto dentro como entre sitios, los resultados indican la presencia de áreas restringidas y segregadas en las tres refinerías. Sin embargo, la comparación entre sitios destaca la forma integrada de las refinerías más pequeñas y rurales, revelando cómo el control de trabajo se manifestó de diversas maneras a escala local.

Keywords:

• Peru
• colonial period
• space syntax
• silver refining
• architecture
• labor

Acknowledgments

Research was funded by a Wenner-Gren Foundation Dissertation Fieldwork Grant (#9605), as well as grants from the University of Pittsburgh’s Anthropology Department, Center for Latin American Studies, and International Studies Fund. Research by the Proyecto Arqueológico Trapiche (PAT) was authorized by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture with the following permit: RDN 337-2018/DBPA/VMPCIC/MC (2018). Karen Durand Caceres and Jorge Rosas Fernandez were co-directors of the project in 2018 and 2019. The CARI field house in Puno lent equipment and storage space. Thank you to Sayda Alegre Morales, Roger Carazas Losa, Javier Chalcha Saraza, and Jose Nuñez Mendiguri for participating in the initial field survey. Special thanks to James Almeida, Elizabeth Arkush, Dick Drennan, Jose Victor Gonzales Aveñdano, Di Hu, and Ryan Smith for lending their thoughts on GIS, space syntax, and silver refineries. Finally, thank you to Sandy Hunter, Sarah Kelloway, Lindi Masur, Giles Morrow, Kylie Quave, and Bethany Whitlock for reading early drafts of this manuscript, as well as to the two anonymous reviewers whose advice greatly improved this manuscript.

Archival Sources

ARP: Archivo Regional de Puno, Puno, Perú

JCB: John Carter Brown Library, Brown University, Providence, RI

JHL: John Hay Library, Brown University, Providence, RI

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

All data discussed in this article will be available on the University of Pittsburgh Center for Comparative Archaeology database.