The Inca Compound at La Centinela, Chincha
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Andean Past Volume 5 Article 6 1998 The ncI a Compound at La Centinela, Chincha Dwight T. Wallace [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/andean_past Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, and the Architectural History and Criticism Commons Recommended Citation Wallace, Dwight T. (1998) "The ncaI Compound at La Centinela, Chincha," Andean Past: Vol. 5 , Article 6. Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/andean_past/vol5/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Andean Past by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE INCA COMPOUND AT LA CENTINELA, CHINCHA Dwight T. Wallace SUNY-Albany Introduction south or east of the famous central coast tem- ple of Pachacamac during the late prehispanic La Centinela is a large site at the north- periods. The obviously symbolic layout of the west edge of the floor of the Chincha Valley, road system and its focus on the main pyramid Peru, very near the ocean and the bluffs that fit the known function of La Centinela as the separate the fully utilized flood plain from the pilgrimage center for a famous oracle, serving higher pampa (Figure 1). The Chincha Valley all areas -- coast and highlands -- to the south floor is a triangular, delta-like flood plain, and east. It was considered a "daughter" of roughly 25 km on a side, of very rich and eas- the even more famous Pachacamac oracular ily irrigated farmland. The western and south- center (Menzel and Rowe 1966; Patterson ern edges of the area on the bluffs did have 1985). The Chincha oracle was established additional human settlement in pre-historic before the arrival of the Inca and continued in times, and this area has a very extensive and use through the period of Inca control. There dense population today. La Ceptinela dates is also documentary evidence of specialized from the Late Intermediate Period, A.D. 1250- Chincha merchants maintaining a very far- 1470, through the Inca-dominated Late Hori- flung trade network (Rostworowski 1970, zon, from A.D. 1470 until the Spanish Con- 1977; Morris 1988; Wallace 1978a, 1978b), quest in A.D. 1532. giving an economic facet to La Centinela's pre-Inca function as the center of the powerful Working at L~ Centinela in 1900, Max Chincha socio-political unit. This economic Uhle reported the many building units that role would also explain why the Inca devel- formed the extensive ruins (see Uhle 1924: oped La Centinela as their major political ad- plates 2-5). The site (Figure 2) is dominated ministrative center for the south central coast by a pyramid at least 18 m high set on a plat- (but cf Sandweiss 1992:10). form approximately 12 m high that forms a terrace at the foot of the steep southern side of Inca use of rectangular adobes identifies the pyramid. The Inca later constructed ad- their architecture in Chincha, because only ministrative buildings in front of the southern tapia, or puddled adobe, was employed be- terrace (Figures 2 and 3) and also across the fore. The main Inca construction area on the terrace itself, many using the distinctive Impe- southern platform or terrace is shown on the rial Cusco architectural style; From this focal plan in Figure 3. The set of buildings con- location a set of five straight roads radiated structed by the Inca during the period they out across the valley floor, the two outer roads controlled Chincha includes a large rect- having alignments very close to true east and angular ground level plaza in front of this south (Figure 1). One diagonal road crosses southern platform, centered on the pyramid the entire valley floor and continues straight (facing the lower right comer of Figure 2). across the pampa to the Pisco Valley, where it The full layout (see Santillana 1984: figure 1) meets a road up-valley to the highlands and also included a small set of compounds built another that continues south to the Ica Valley directly on the east side of the main platform, (Wallace 1991; map adapted by Hyslop 1984: just to the right of the plan, but at a somewhat figure 21.4). lower platform level. In front of this eastern group is a construction wing that matches the These physical features indicate the pre- one shown on the lower left of the present historic socio-cultural importance of the site, plan (Figure 3, see also Figure 2, lower cen- an importance which is further reflected by the ter). There are also additional buildings fact that it was the largest ceremonial structure ANDEAN PAST 5 (1998):9-33. ANDEAN PAST 5 (1998) -10 around the ground level plaza, a few of which The back or western end of the compound show at the lower right in Figure 3. is taken up mainly by an apparently open area that will be referred to as a veranda (Figure 4: Rectangular adobes that are visible near Area 10), from which there is a magnificent the top of the main pyramid, on top of puddled view of the beach and ocean (see also the re- adobe walls, show that some modifications or construction drawing in Figure 8). The ve- repairs to the earlier construction were also randa has a sub-floor water cistern and drain, made during the Inca occupation. The result and there are small rooms on both the north ' was probably a new southern front to the main and south ends of the veranda; the niches and pyramid itself, the focal point of the entire double jamb entries mark these rooms as more complex. As could be expected for Inca- than minor storage areas, and one small south- directed construction, the result was a very ern room (Figure 4: Area 9) has steps down orderly, well balanced, and visually impres- into a tank with a drain, undoubtedly to be sive religious and administrative center, al- used for bathing. Uhle (1924:78) traced both though it should be noted that neither high py- drains to outlets outside the compound. There ramidal building bases nor pyramids were is also a back or western entrance (Figure 4: common Inca architectural features. Area 7) to the raised room block off the ve- randa, reached by a stairway starting at the Most of the observations here concern the entrance to the southern rooms (Figure 4: Area compound with the central set of raised rooms 8). The corridor entrance to the veranda (Fig- (Figure 3: Compound C; Figure 4) that is at ure 4: Area 2) and the two relatively large the southwest corner of the large southern ter- northern rooms or enclosures (Figure 4: Areas race, already noted as part pf the Inca con- 1, 12) complete the spages in the main com- struction on the terrace. Uhle considered this pound. Apparently all interior and exterior "palace" a focal structure, and Santillana wall surfaces were painted white over a fine (1984:19) gives a .cogent argument for the clay plaster surface. relative importance of this area and its associ- ated courtyard (Figure 3: Courtyard B) and Inca and Pre-Inca Wall Art entrance plaza (A). To preview the construc- tion, a set of rooins (Figure 4: Area 6) raised At least two decorated walls are known at to second story height by a solid basal terrace the site, one associated ,with the pyramid is a dominant feature of the compound, a view looming high above the terrace with its Inca of which can be seen in the photo taken in construction, the other in the main Inca com- 1900 by Uhle (1924: plate 4), included here as pound just discussed. Their contrasting deco- Figure 5. (Uhle's photo can be compared with rative techniques and building associations my own 1957 photo in Figure 6, showing that emphasize the contrast between the local pre- hardly anything had been moved in 57 years!) Inca source of the Centinela complex and the In Figure 7, the reconstruction based on these distinct Inca-style construction and art in the photos, the tall-niche gallery wall (Figure 4: extensively remodeled sector where the Inca Area 3) at the east side of the raised room established their administrative center. block can be clearly seen. One niche is actu- ally a door that opens into some small rooms At some unknown date between Uhle's (Figure 4: Area 4) against the base of the visit in 1900 and the 1957 survey, a small raised room block. Various double jamb room on the west side and near the top of the doors and a rare geometric painted mural in main pyramid had been cleared, revealing a 3- one room emphasize the importance of this dimensional frieze (Figure 9) on the inside of central warren of raised rooms. An eastern, or the outer walL The frieze is pIano-relief, that frpnt door into the upper room block has ac- is, the flat face has been cut to a fixed depth cess from the niche gallery by a roundabout (about 5 cm), giving only two surfaces: the way up a stairway and along a ledge. foreground design and the excised back- ground. One section retained a height of nearly 2 m, the original full height judging 11- Wallace: La Centinela from the nature of the design. The erosion of (Pillsbury 1993). The piano-relief technique, the wall into very large blocks makes it clear the diagonal layout, and the use of many geo- that it was tapia-constructed, as are all Late metric and simple animal elements can also be Intermediate Period buildings in the Chincha found in the north coast decoration.