Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WARI EXPANSION
As the influence of regional states waned, the Wari, an ethnic group from the Ayacucho
Basin, emerged as a force to be reckoned with for 500 years beginning in AD 600. They
were vigorous military conquerors who built and maintained important outposts throughout
a vast territory that covered an area from Chiclayo to Cuzco. Though their ancient capital
lay outside of present-day Ayacucho - the ruins of which can still be visited (
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)
-
they also operated the major lowland ceremonial center of Pachacamac, just outside of
Lima (
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)
, where people from all over the region came to pay tribute.
As with many conquering cultures, the Wari attempted to subdue other groups by em-
phasizing their own traditions over local belief. Thus from about AD 700 to 1100, Wari in-
fluence is noted in the art, technology and architecture of most areas in Peru. These include
elaborate, tie-dyed tunics, and finely-woven textiles featuring stylized human figures and
geometric patterns, some of which contained a record-breaking 398 threads per linear inch.
They are most significant, however, for developing an extensive network of roadways and
for greatly expanding the terrace agriculture system - an infrastructure that would serve the
Incas well when they came into power just a few centuries later.
For more,
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.
The portrayal of indigenous people in pop culture
tends to be that of benign stewards of vast wilder-
ness. But Charles C Mann's
1491: New Revelations
of the Americas Before Columbus
reveals that the
continent was a place of great urbanization and
high technological skill. The Incas are prominently
featured.
