Hearths, grinding stones, and households: Rethinking domestic economy in the andes

Abstract

This case study of Andean house remains in central Peru adopts a gendered perspective and, on the basis of archaeological evidence, challenges the normalized domestic model of “lo Andino.” Although most Andean archaeological studies equate economically independent households with independent structures, this analysis reexamines the accuracy of this convention. The presence of a grinding stone, an essential tool of an economically independent unit, varies among house structures, which suggests that multiple houses shared labor on a daily basis. © 2008 by the American Anthropological Association.