Human Trophies in the Late Pre-Hispanic Andes: Striving for Status and Maintaining Power Among the Incas and Other Societies

Abstract

Examining the taking and displaying of human trophies in the late pre-Hispanic period of Andean South America (Figure 17.1) is a challenging task because the nature of the evidence for these practices changes significantly over time. During the earlier part of this time span (ca. AD 1000–1438), the scant data available is archaeological, including osteological remains from burial contexts and iconographic elements on ceramics and other objects. In the latter part (ca. AD 1438–1532), the period of Inca imperial expansion, ethnohistorical sources are the primary means for gathering information on the taking and displaying of human trophies, and as Verano (1995:192) notes, there are few known examples of Inca trophies.