La Centinela
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| Location | Peru |
|---|---|
| Region | Ica Region |
| Coordinates | 13°27′1″S 76°10′16″W / 13.45028°S 76.17111°W |
La Centinela is an archaeological site in Peru which was an active administrative center during both the Inca and pre-Inca periods.
History
[edit]La Centinela was the Incan capital of the kingdom of the Chincha. It is "an unusual site in that it is one of the very few places where the Incas incorporated a major state installation into a preexisting, and still functioning, non-Inca capital."[1] In 1958, Dwight T. Wallace discovered a system of straight roads emanating from La Centinela, suggesting a highly centralized pre-Incan administration.[2]
Site
[edit]La Centinela lies about 200 km south of Lima in the Chincha Valley and about 1 km away from the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by irrigated agricultural land. This means that the residents of La Centinela exploited plant, animal and marine resources.[3]
There are 11 well-defined pyramid structures and minor buildings constructed by adobe bricks. There are examples of adobe walls decorated using the technique of Champlevé.[4]
A black and red on white geometric painting can be found within the principal Inca building.[5]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Evans, Susan Toby and Joanne Pillsbury 2004. Palaces of the Ancient New World: A Symposium at Dumbarton Oaks, 10 and 11 October 1998. Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. p. 311
- ^ Menzel, Dorothy (1959). "The Inca Occupation of the South Coast of Peru". Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. 15 (2): 125–142. doi:10.1086/soutjanth.15.2.3628802. S2CID 131557376.
- ^ Ugent, Donald; Peterson, Linda W. (September 1988). "Archaeological Remains of Potato and Sweet Potato in Peru" (PDF). International Potato Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
- ^ Lothrop, S.K. (1951). "Gold Artifacts of Chavin Style". American Antiquity. 16 (3): 226–240. doi:10.2307/276783. JSTOR 276783. S2CID 163186881.
- ^ Menzel, Dorothy (1959). "The Inca Occupation of the South Coast of Peru". Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. 15 (2): 125–142. doi:10.1086/soutjanth.15.2.3628802. S2CID 131557376.