Architecture and Power in the Ancient Andes: The Archaeology of Public Buildings

New Studies in Archaeology

by Jerry D. Moore

In this 1996 volume, Jerry D. Moore discusses public architecture in the context of the cultural, political and religious life of the pre-hispanic Andes. Archaeologists have invested enormous effort in excavating and documenting prehistoric buildings, but analytical approaches to architecture remain as yet undeveloped. Architecture and Power in the Ancient Andes uses analytical methods to approach architecture and its relationship to Andean society, exploring three themes in the architecture of monuments, the architecture of ritual, and the architecture of social control. It provides both a methodology for the study of public architecture and an example of how that methodology can be applied. Jerry D. Moore's clear and richly illustrated discussion represents an original perspective on architecture and its role in ritual, ideology, and power in the ancient world.

276 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 1996

About the author

Jerry D. Moore is an anthropological archaeologist and professor of anthropology at California State University Dominguez Hills, California. His research interests focus on cultural landscapes, the archaeology of architecture, and human adaptations on the north coast of Peru and northern Baja California.

He is the author of Architecture and Power in the Prehispanic Andes: The Archaeology of Public Buildings (1996), Cultural Landscapes in the Prehispanic Andes: Archaeologies of Place (2005), Visions of Culture: An Introduction to Anthropological Theories and Theorists (2012), the 2014 SAA Book Award winner A Prehistory of Home, thirty-five peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and sixty-seven professional papers.