Spatial layout of the pre-Inka and Inka settlements in the Yauca valley

Abstract

Recent archaeological research carried out in the Yauca Valley, Arequipa, determined the presence of four important settlements that had been established in the middle section of the valley. Our assessment of surface material remains reveals that one of the sites was established during the Late Intermediate Period, while the others were built following the arrival of the Inka. The site established during the period prior to the Inka was built on a defensive location that also provides an excellent view of the surroundings. Furthermore, the site was walled and suggests that during this period there was concern for security. With the Inka expansion and the subsequent incorporation of Yauca to Inka control, the fortified settlement was deserted. Its inhabitants seemingly were relocated to three different recently established settlements, all of them found immediate to the valley floor and thus near the agricultural fields. The location of the three new settlements suggests that the Inka presence marked the end for the need of defense.