An Inka Unku from Caleta Vitor Bay, Northern Chile

Tracy Martens; Jacqueline Correa-Lau; Calogero M. Santoro; Christopher Carter; Judith Cameron

doi:10.1017/laq.2020.81

An Inka Unku from Caleta Vitor Bay, Northern Chile

Tracy Martens^*, Jacqueline Correa-Lau, Calogero M. Santoro, Christopher Carter, Judith Cameron

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

As insignia of power and prestige, Inka unku (tapestry tunics) communicated the strength and extent of Inka sociopolitical hegemony in the Andes. Of the 36 known full-size examples in museum collections, only one, found in Argentina, comes from outside Peru. This article investigates another recently excavated unku found out of context on Chile's northernmost coast. To confirm its authenticity, we compiled a database showing the technical and stylistic attributes of previous finds for comparison. We conclude that this artifact is indeed a new type of unku and that the discovery affects our understanding of the complex relationship between the people of this province and the Inka state.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	201-208
Number of pages	8
Journal	Latin American Antiquity
Volume	32
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/laq.2020.81
Publication status	Published - Mar 2021

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abstract = "As insignia of power and prestige, Inka unku (tapestry tunics) communicated the strength and extent of Inka sociopolitical hegemony in the Andes. Of the 36 known full-size examples in museum collections, only one, found in Argentina, comes from outside Peru. This article investigates another recently excavated unku found out of context on Chile's northernmost coast. To confirm its authenticity, we compiled a database showing the technical and stylistic attributes of previous finds for comparison. We conclude that this artifact is indeed a new type of unku and that the discovery affects our understanding of the complex relationship between the people of this province and the Inka state.",

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AU - Cameron, Judith

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AB - As insignia of power and prestige, Inka unku (tapestry tunics) communicated the strength and extent of Inka sociopolitical hegemony in the Andes. Of the 36 known full-size examples in museum collections, only one, found in Argentina, comes from outside Peru. This article investigates another recently excavated unku found out of context on Chile's northernmost coast. To confirm its authenticity, we compiled a database showing the technical and stylistic attributes of previous finds for comparison. We conclude that this artifact is indeed a new type of unku and that the discovery affects our understanding of the complex relationship between the people of this province and the Inka state.

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An Inka Unku from Caleta Vitor Bay, Northern Chile

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