Aspects of the sacred and kingship at the Inka palace of Qespiwanka

This paper discusses research conducted at Qespiwanka, an inka rural palace in the Vilkanota Valley (Peru), in the context of its articulation with its landscape and estate boundaries. Initially, it focuses on the meaning of the toponym, made up of two Quechua words, qespi and wank’a, to elucidate its function. A discussion of the nature of communication with the sacred, including inka concepts of shrine, stone and brilliant light, which are further developed within the context of kingship and its relationship with the Sun. Oracular consultation between the Sapa Inka and the Sun was achieved when, during moments of qespi, the Sun spoke conferring upon him legitimacy. Such authority was displayed in the clothing he wore, the objects he carried, the palaces in which he lived and the litter in which he travelled. Places, where communication took place, were revered and commemorated. Field recordings of the presentation of the eponymous rock in the centre of the palace plaza and its known role in solstitial observation are critical aspects in the understanding of the palace and underlines the fact that the Sapa Inka was Intip Churin, the Son of the Sun.