LANDSCAPE IMPLICATIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FUNERARY STRUCTURES

Approaches from Tantanamarka Site in P'isaq, Southern Peru

[Implicancias del paisaje en la construcción de estructuras funerarias. Aproximaciones desde el sitio de

Tantanamarka, P’isaq, Cusco. 2010]

Adan CHOQQUE ARCE & Alexander J. SICOS ANCCO

Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco

[Unpublished document]

Abstract

To understand the man's past it is vital the understandingof places, delving into the connections

established between the human being and the space in which it operates, being observed traces of a

complex cultural and social plot, showing the different ways of human thinking and the relationships with

their environment, turned in a humanized space: landscape.

The landscape, though it had become a focus for archaeology, has been treated for a long time from an

economic perspective, considered as a space from where resources have been obtained to survive. It has

been understood as a simple passive scenario and static scene of human alterations. Nevertheless, for us

the landscape has double dimension: material or objective and conceptual or perceived reality, to the

extent that it is being treated as a built environment: cognitive, symbolic, and (then) physically,

constituting an active agent of communicationas a result of constant and dynamic interaction between

man and his environment.

In this way, we speak about the organization of the funerary space that meets standards todefined

schemas of an specific cultural period, within which converged aesthetic, functional and symbolic factors,

by taking advantage of the special physical characteristics such as natural rock cavities and / or modifying

others, which is referred as thelandscape of the deathorfunerary landscape, and it isknown as the "locus

of memory".

With respect to the landscape as an active agent of communication, since immemorial times the Andean

landscape has been alive, personified, and a form of this it is that the burial site may be considered as a

place of ancient mythological originthat the community has a concept of returning of “the dead" and

buried to the birthplace which is assimilated to a mountain. Additionally, it has an importance: most of

the funerary structures are oriented towards theEast or a sacred mountain.So, the landscape is understood

as a dynamic and complex synthesis, while it results from the interaction of socio-cultural and natural,

material and conceptual elements, the past and the present:

1. The societies located throughout the Central Andes Mountain range have shared similar

characteristic in termsof the distribution of the funerary structures located in rocky slopes and

headlands.

2. The funerary landscape of P'isaq became a place where the living ones cohabited

withthedeadones, displaying a well-defined territorial ordering, both by natural elements such as

engineering works (walls).

3. It was believed that the person at death did not die, but went to another dimension of life,

returning to the place he had been born (paqarina) like their ancestors.

4. Their funerary constructions were located mostly in hillsides, due to their beliefs and

“cosmovision”, according to which to the being buried there the deceasedcould guard and ensure

their offspring (ayllu) and the community of the living ones would be close to their ancestors.

adanchoqque@gmail.com

ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE IN THE AUSANGATE VALLEY

Threats of Irreparable Destruction

Will we destroy our heritage and erase our cultural identity?

Adan CHOQQUE ARCE

Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco

Cusco, Peru, 2009

[Online published]

http://www.monografias.com/trabajos-pdf4/patrimonio-arqueologico-valle-del-ausangate/patrimonio-

arqueologico-valle-del-ausangate.pdf

Abstract

Ausangate valley is located in the foothills of the Mount of the same name, near to Vilcanota River.

Politically, the valley comprises the districts and part of Checacupe and Pitumarca in the province of

Canchis, southeast of the Cusco region, Peru. This valley was in the past and is now a suitable place for

human habitation, for special environmental features it has. According to archaeological investigations it

is constituted with evidences as pre-Hispanic hydraulic channels, human bones, enclosures, platforms,

ceremonial spaces and roads, showing continuous occupation from the Late Intermediate Period to Late

Horizon (Inka), and its representative archaeological site is Machu-Pitumarka.

A society to be such must have something to define itself: a common past, heritage, a shared interest, an

identity that strengthens its values, expressed in intangible culture (folklore, traditions, customs, etc.) and

the Material ones, which are works produced by the human hand, or in combination with nature; these are

capital assets with an intrinsic cultural character. In these lines we do not reference sanctions against

breaches on this heritage, embodied in international charters and conventions, rules or laws protecting the

Cultural Heritage. We discuss what happens daily at the sight of all: An unfortunate reality with the

gradual loss of archaeological elements and evidence.

The major problems are, (1) looting of archaeological sites, commonly known as huaqueo(in Quechua),

with the consequent clandestine trade of their pieces, and (2) acts of vandalism, a tendency to devastate

and destroy archaeological materials.