Beyond Inca roads: the Redes Andinas project explores complex palimpsests of Andean road networks

The fifth excavated tambo site showed the coexistence of a European and indigenous tambo during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

“The fifth site showed the coexistence of a European and indigenous tambo during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.”

Interpretation of satellite imagery combined with digitisation of historical maps allowed the project to record 18,600 km of entangled road lines in three vertically and continuously distributed regions of the 18°S transect.

“The interpretation of satellite imagery, combined with the digitisation of historical maps, allowed us to record 18 600km of these entangled lines in three vertically and continuously distributed regions (Figure 1).”

The 18°S parallel's Andean transect conserves abundant traces of abandoned pathways that do not appear on topographical maps.

“As is the case with many desert and mountain regions, the 18°S parallel's Andean transect conserves abundant traces of (abandoned) pathways that do not appear on topographical maps.”

Two tambo sites with seemingly Inca-style architecture appear to have been established during the Colonial and Republican periods.

“Two other sites with seemingly Inca-style architecture appear to have been established during the Colonial and Republican periods (Figures 4 & 5).”

The most common roadside structures along the surveyed pathways are cairns, apacheta, small refuges (pascana) and corrals.

“The most common roadside structures are cairns, apacheta, small refuges (pascana) and corrals.”

No stone-paved road segments directly associated with an Inca site were identified in the survey.

“Stone-paved segments are mostly limited to the entrance of certain highland colonial villages, and we identified none that were directly associated with an Inca site (Figure 3).”

Almost all surveyed road segments exhibit a mixed late pre-Hispanic and historical archaeological record, in variable proportions.

“Almost all surveyed segments exhibit a mixed late pre-Hispanic and historical archaeological record (although in variable proportions), which shows the resilience of roadside architecture used during the past millennium.”

Stone-paved road segments are mostly limited to the entrance of certain highland colonial villages.

“Stone-paved segments are mostly limited to the entrance of certain highland colonial villages, and we identified none that were directly associated with an Inca site (Figure 3).”

The mixed late pre-Hispanic and historical archaeological record of the surveyed segments shows the resilience of roadside architecture used during the past millennium.

“Almost all surveyed segments exhibit a mixed late pre-Hispanic and historical archaeological record (although in variable proportions), which shows the resilience of roadside architecture used during the past millennium.”

Most of the abundant roads and paths dispersed throughout the distinct ecological floors of the 18°S transect have been resilient from pre-Hispanic times until the widespread use of motorised vehicles during the second half of the twentieth century.

“Firstly, most of the abundant roads and paths dispersed throughout the distinct ecological floors have been resilient from pre-Hispanic times until the widespread use of motorised vehicles during the second half of the twentieth century.”

Inca and Spanish powers showed no significant attempts to engineer an imperial infrastructure for Qhapaq ñan nor Potosi's Silver Route in the 18°S transect.

“Secondly, Inca and Spanish powers showed no significant attempts to engineer an imperial infrastructure for Qhapaq ñan nor Potosi's Silver Route.”

The 18°S South-central Andes region offers a significant case study of the historical processes of Andean road networks.

“For this reason, this region offers a significant case study of the historical processes of Andean road networks.”

The project's empirical archaeological data supports the theoretical assumption that the cumulative palimpsest is an adequate framework for understanding the chronology of road networks.

“the empirical archaeological data from our project supports the theoretical assumption that the cumulative palimpsest is an adequate framework for understanding the chronology of road networks;”

During all three historical conjunctures, road networks and movement systems played crucial roles involving macroregional territorial dynamics in the 18°S region.

“During all three, road networks and movement systems played crucial roles, involving macroregional territorial dynamics, specifically related to the interactions of the late pre-Hispanic and early Colonial vertical archipelagos, to Potosi's Silver Colonial Route and to the establishment of the modern Republican borders.”

Assumptions about tambos' Inca or Colonial origins based solely on architectural appearance or ethnohistorical stereotypes could be challenged by detailed archaeological research at tambo sites.

“The sequence illustrates the complex history of this Andean institution and indicates the need for detailed archaeological research at tambo sites, which could challenge those assumptions made about their Inca or Colonial origins that are based solely on architectural appearance or ethnohistorical stereotypes.”

Ancient paths and road networks are complex archaeological entities that are not often researched systematically.

“Ancient paths and road networks are complex archaeological entities that are not often researched systematically (Robert & Verdier Reference Robert and Verdier2014).”

• cites Robert & Verdier 2014Not matched

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Tambos constitute a key element for research on the history of Andean road systems.

“Thus, tambos constitute a key element for research on the history of Andean road systems, and for this reason, we carried out a comparative study of five tambos.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: The tambo is an Andean institution that has transcended the Spanish colonial conquest and even played a role in the formation of the Criollo Republics.

Studying the diversity of infrastructures and traces of movement accumulated in Andean landscapes can contribute to understanding long-term territorial dynamics.

“to consider the diversity of infrastructures and traces of movement that have accumulated in Andean landscapes, the study of which can contribute to our understanding of long-term territorial dynamics (Hyslop Reference Hyslop and Trombold1991).”

• cites Hyslop 1991Not matched

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A multiscale methodological approach allows the project to characterise the transformation and resilience of the road networks over the past millennium in the context of the 18°S parallel's vertical transect.

“A multiscale methodological approach allows us to characterise the transformation and resilience of the road networks over the past millennium, in the context of the 18°South parallel's vertical transect.”

The archaeological assemblage of overlapping and intersecting remnants of distinct historical road networks corresponds to the concept of a 'cumulative palimpsest'.

“This archaeological assemblage corresponds to the concept of a “cumulative palimpsest” (Bailey Reference Bailey2007).”

• cites Bailey 2007Not matched

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