Palaces And Power in the Americas

by Christie, Jessica Joyce; Sarro, Patricia Joan

• ISBN13: 9780292709843
• ISBN10: 0292709846
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-07-01
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

"This book is a major contribution to American archaeology and related fields, such as art history, architectural theory, and social anthropology.... The wide range of different societies included--from the powerful Inka empire to the small Northwest Coast chiefdoms--will make this volume a standard reference for everybody interested in elite residential architecture of the Ancient New World." --Nikolai Grube, Director of the Department for American Anthropology, University of Bonn Ancient American palaces still captivate those who stand before them. Even in their fallen and ruined condition, the palaces project such power that, according to the editors of this new collection, it must have been deliberately drawn into their formal designs, spatial layouts, and choice of locations. Such messages separated palaces from other elite architecture and reinforced the power and privilege of those residing in them. Indeed, as Christie and Sarro write, "the relation between political power and architecture is a pervasive and intriguing theme in the Americas." Given the variety of cultures, time periods, and geographical locations examined within, the editors of this book have grouped the articles into four sections. The first looks at palaces in cultures where they have not previously been identified, including the Huaca of Moche Site, the Wari of Peru, and Chaco Canyon in the U.S. Southwest. The second section discusses palaces as "stage sets" that express power, such as those found among the Maya, among the Coast Salish of the Pacific Northwest, and at El Tajiacute;n on the Mexican Gulf Coast. The third part of the volume presents cases in which differences in elite residences imply differences in social status, with examples from Pasado de la Amada, the Valley of Oaxaca, Teotihuacan, and the Aztecs. The final section compares architectural strategies between cultures; the models here are Farfaacute;n, Peru, under both the Chimuacute; and the Inka, and the separate states of the Maya and the Inka. Such scope, and the quality of the scholarship, make Palaces and Power in the Americas a must-have work on the subject.

Table of Contents

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	ix
NOTE ON ORTHOGRAPHY	xi
INTRODUCTION	1	(20)
JESSICA JOYCE CHRISTIE
PART 1. Identification of Palaces	21	(94)
1. Looking for Moche Palaces in the Elite Residences of the Huacas of Moche Site	23	(21)
CLAUDE CHAPDELAINE
2. Landscape of Power: A Network of Palaces in Middle Horizon Peru	44	(55)
WILLIAM H. ISBELL
3. Lords of the Great House: Pueblo Bonito as a Palace	99	(18)
STEPHEN H. LEKSON
PART 2. Palaces as Active Stage Sets of Political Ideology	115	(74)
4. Sacred and Profane Mountains of the Pasión: Contrasting Architectural Paths to Power	117	(24)
ARTHUR A. DEMAREST
5. Political Dimensions of Monumental Residences on the Northwest Coast of North America	141	(25)
COLIN GRIER
6. Rising Above: The Elite Acropolis of El Tajin	166	(25)
PATRICIA JOAN SARRO
PART 3. Correspondences between Material Aspects of Elite Residences and Social Status	189	(122)
7. The Residence of Power at Paso de la Amada, Mexico	191	(20)
MICHAEL BLAKE, RICHARD G. LESURE, WARREN D. HILL, LUIS BARBA, AND JOHN E. CLARK
8. When Is a House a Palace? Elite Residences in the Valley of Oaxaca	211	(45)
SARAH B. BARBER AND ARTHUR A. JOYCE
9. Rulership and Palaces at Teotihuacan	256	(29)
WILLIAM T. SANDERS AND SUSAN TOBY EVANS
10. Antecedents of the Aztec Palace: Palaces and Political Power in Classic and Postclassic Mexico	285	(26)
SUSAN TOBY EVANS
PART 4. Comparison of Palaces across Cultures	311	(86)
11. Elite Residences at Farfán: A Comparison of the Chimú and Inka Occupations	313	(40)
CAROL MACKEY
12. Houses of Political Power among the Ancient Maya and Inka	353	(44)
JESSICA JOYCE CHRISTIE
Conclusions	397	(6)
WILLIAM T. SANDERS
CONTRIBUTORS	403	(4)
INDEX	407