On Thursday, November 4 at 2 pm, the UNM Latin American and Iberian Institute (LAII) will host graduate student Beau Murphy, presenting his talk Architectural Layout and Inka Imperial Tactics in Northern Chile (AD 1400-1532)  via Zoom. You can register for the talk here

Abstract:

From ancient Rome to the Aztec Empire, polities frequently use architectural monuments to promote state ideologies, advertise state power, and foster acceptance of inequality. This presentation discusses in-progress research investigating how architecture has been used for similar ends specifically within conquered imperial provinces, where empires must communicate authority to peoples who may be hesitant to accept imperial rule. The research focuses upon an archaeological case study from the Inka Empire (AD 1400-1532), with emphasis on architectural data collected at the Inka provincial center of Turi in Chile’s Atacama Desert since 2013. The study to date indicates that monuments should be understood as one facet of imperial tactics embedded in architecture, often articulated with an overall site plan or ‘layout’ designed to facilitate imperial rule.

Beau Murphy is an archaeologist and PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology researching provincial political architecture in the Inka Empire. He entered the field of archaeology in 2011, and has conducted work in Peru, Chile, Romania, Belize, and the American Southwest since this time