Article révisé par les pairs
| Résumé : | Pachacamac is a vast ceremonial centre on the Coast of Peru, and one of the biggest sites of the ancient Andes. During its 1000-year history prior to the Spanish Conquest (AD 1533), the site saw various changes in terms of religious beliefs and practices, as seen through variability in burial customs, methods of sacrifice and offrenda, temple architecture and iconography. As capital of the Ychsma chiefdom and sanctuary of the eponymous Creator God, it attracted pilgrims from across the region who came to consult the oracular idol and seek cures for severe diseases. Inca regeneration of the site during the fifteenth century saw Pachacamac achieve great, symbolic and political importance; it became a pan-Andean sanctuary and pilgrimage centre, dedicated to the ancient coastal god. Unlike most other Prehispanic religious centres in the Andes, Pachacamac not only survived numerous episodes of socioeconomic and ritual/religious upheaval, but seems to have thrived and expanded as a result thereof. This article explores the mechanisms of change and posits possible reasons for the site’s survivorship, using two decade’s worth of archaeological data and with a special focus on monumental religious architecture. |
