Late prehistory in the Nasca region of southern Peru spans approximately 500 years (AD 1000-1534) and includes two distinct periods defined generally as the Late Intermediate Period (AD 1000-1476) and the Late Horizon (AD 1476-1534). The Late Intermediate Period was a period of local development in the Nasca area following the collapse of the Wari empire. In the Late Horizon the Inka conquered the region and incorporated it into their imperial realm. I will discuss my analysis of settlement survey data from the late prehistoric period and examine information gathered at the site of Pajonal Alto, a site that spans this interval of time. A variety of site types are found in the region with differences based on location, architecture and ceramic assemblages. Site variability appears to be the result of complex processes such as change over time, the nature of sociopolitical organization and the types of activities conducted at different sites. Contrary to the traditional belief that the Nasca region had no centralization when the Inka entered the area, the settlement data suggests the presence of a complex sociopolitical system in the Late Intermediate Period extending through the Late Horizon. In addition, these data challenge existing characterizations of cultural complexity and its development.



Friday March 1, 1996
2052 North Hall

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