The Inca Centers of Tomebamba and Caranqui in Northern Chinchaysuyu

Abstract

The only two imperial Inca centers still extant in the northernmost realm of Tahuantinsuyu are those of Tomebamba and Inca-Caranqui. In this chapter, the authors offer a comparative look at the archaeology of these royal settlements, reflecting on the location of the site in the context of the local landscape, architectural elements, and the physical layouts of each. Though the two sites represent different moments in the history of the Inca’s northward advance and, consequently, different stages in the imperializing process, their comparison serves to illuminate how the material strategies of the empire were sequenced and adapted to fit local circumstances.