Paria la Viexa and an expanding empire: Provincial centers in the political economy of the Inka Empire (a.d. 1440–1532)

Abstract

The fastest growing and largest territorial empire of the Americas was the Inka Empire. At the time of its emergence in the 14th century, the empire lacked an urban network, a developed division of labor, a sophisticated craft industry, and an exchange network like that of most pre-industrial states. The emerging Inka state had to create the social and economic institutions that would ensure its growth and long-term operation. Data from Paria la Viexa, an Inka provincial center in Bolivia, illustrates how the Inka Empire created the necessary conditions for its expansion and operation through a network of provincial centers it had called to life.

Keywords:

• Inka Empire
• provincial center
• Paria la Viexa
• political economy

Acknowledgments

The Paria Archaeological Project was carried out with the permission of the Dirección Nacional de Arqueología, Bolivia (auth. no. 27/04, 030/05, com. ext. 228/06). It was financially supported by the OTKA Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (Grant T 047048), the Curtis T. and Mary G. Brennan Foundation, and the Heinz Foundation. Funding for the analysis of project data and the preparation of this publication came from grant SAB 81555 of the OTKA Hungarian Scientific Research Fund. I would like to thank the fieldwork staff: Carola Condarco (project co-director), Alvaro Condarco Castellón, Mile Vargas Rosquellas (Oruro, Bolivia), and every other participant. Special thanks go to Veronika Szilágyi and her collaborators, Renée Bonzani, Alice Choyke, and László Bartosiewicz for the analysis of the pottery and the archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains.

János Gyarmati (Ph.D. 1999, Hungarian Academy of Sciences) is Curator of the Precolumbian collection, Museum of Ethnography, Budapest, Hungary. His principal research interests include the archaeology of Andean civilizations and museology.