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Seven M A T e R I A L C O R R e L A T e S O F M O U n TA I n W O R S H I P As an archaeologist, I am interested in the following questions: How would we recognize a site where a mountain was worshipped in the past? What are the distinct features of this practice, and what are its material correlates? What remains might we find in the archaeological record that would give us a hint as to why a summit was venerated? I will try to answer these queries. I would expect a peak adored in the prehispanic era to stand out from the surrounding pinnacles in some way: it may have an unusual shape, be snow-capped, be much higher than the others, or be made of a different material. People often carried out ceremonies honoring a mountain on its crest, on its slopes, or at its base; in such an instance, there might be an idol, sacred wanqa stone, altar, temple, burial crypt, or other structure on it. If a populace revered a prominent peak from a lesser hill, there might be a ritual site on the latter’s summit; in this case, there would probably be an unobstructed sight-line between the site and the hallowed peak. A pinnacle also could be worshipped from the plaza in a village or city, from a field, or from any other open space. Again, the holy mountain would likely be visible from the spot where the rites held in its honor took place. A group might also pay homage to a summit indirectly; rather than venerate the crag itself, either from its own slopes or from a site with an unimpeded view of it, the people could worship and bestow offerings on a representation of it. For such an effigy to survive in the archaeological record, it would most likely have to be made of stone. Its outline should unmistakably echo the shape of a local peak. Material Correlates of Mountain Worship 147 Sacrificial materialS A review of the ethnohistoric literature informs us that we might find many different kinds of offerings at a site connected with mountain worship. There could be the body of a sacrificial victim, perhaps entombed like Tanta Carhua; she was found in a small space at the bottom of a 5 m deep shaft, curled up in a fetal position and wearing fine clothes. In a rare instance, we might discover the corpse of a llama that had been immolated and interred.The animal would probably have a slit in its throat or an incision in its side where its heart was removed. I think it more likely, however, that we would unearth its charred bones, since most chronicles say that after a llama was ritually slaughtered, it was cremated in a bonfire. We also might come upon the buried remains of guinea pigs, sometimes intact, but usually burned. A site linked to the veneration of a pinnacle might have a variety of gold, silver, and/or copper goods: gold dust and nuggets; ingots and little pieces of metal; anthropomorphic figurines, both male and female; zoomorphic statuettes; jewelry and other personal adornments ; and an assortment of vessels and utensils. These materials would be interred. Sometimes metal items, such as the gold and copper idols discovered by Martínez, were placed in a small chamber at the bottom of a shaft (see Figure 4.4). Other oblations we might find include shells, textiles, coca leaves, corn, corn products, feathers, food, and so on. The Inkas organized the things they sacrificed into a hierarchy, with human beings and llamas at the top, feathers and food at the bottom. The types of offerings they awarded a particular mountain depended on the waqa’s status, their specific reason(s) for worshipping it, and the urgency of their petition to it. It should be simple to determine the prominence of a peak by examining collections of materials from the archaeological record: in general, the higher the waqa’s rank, the greater the diversity of items it should have received, and the more prestigious the goods. The reverse would be true as well. If we were to discover the corpse of a sacrificial victim buried on a high pinnacle, we could reasonably conclude this waqa had been significant in the past. If we were to disinter the remains of textiles, coca leaves, feathers, and food from around an...

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