The Chincha-Inca Mortuary Traditions at Jahuay, Quebrada de Topará

The site of Jahuay, located 20 km north of the Chincha Valley, experienced multiple occupations spanning two millennia. Recently, the Proyecto de Investigación Arqueológica de Jahuay has uncovered burials from multiple late prehispanic contexts. This talk presents ongoing research into these mortuary traditions. Among our findings, we observe that the unique mortuary patterns previously documented by our colleagues in Chincha reached beyond the valley proper during the Late Intermediate Period and Late Horizon, demonstrating the persistence of the social and political ties between Jahuay and the Chincha Valley. The variation across these mortuary contexts raises numerous questions about the social and political organization of Chincha and the surrounding regions, prior to and during the Inca imperial conquest.