Overview

In Ancient People of the Andes, Michael A. Malpass describes the prehistory of western South America from initial colonization to the Spanish Conquest. All the major cultures of this region, from the Moche to the Inkas, receive thoughtful treatment, from their emergence to their demise or evolution. No South American culture that lived prior to the arrival of Europeans developed a writing system, making archaeology the only way we know about most of the prehispanic societies of the Andes. The earliest Spaniards on the continent provided first-person accounts of the latest of those societies, and, as descendants of the Inkas became literate, they too became a source of information. Both ethnohistory and archaeology have limitations in what they can tell us, but when we are able to use them together they are complementary ways to access knowledge of these fascinating cultures. Malpass focuses on large anthropological themes: why people settled down into agricultural communities, the origins of social inequalities, and the evolution of sociopolitical complexity. Ample illustrations, including eight color plates, visually document sites, societies, and cultural features. Introductory chapters cover archaeological concepts, dating issues, and the region's climate. The subsequent chapters, divided by time period, allow the reader to track changes in specific cultures over time.

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9781501703218

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Reviews

Ancient People of the Andes is a tour de force of synthesis and impressive scholarship on central Andean archaeology, from the earliest colonists to the Inka Empire. This book will appeal to all those interested in the magnificent civilizations that arose from sea level to the Andean peaks over the millennia. -James B. Richardson III, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Museum of Natural History, author of People of the Andes Michael A. Malpass's clear and engaging writing, emphasis on explaining how archaeologists make interpretations, and discussion of alternative explanations of the Andean past make this an ideal book for undergraduate courses or people interested in an introduction to Andean prehistory. -Cynthia Klink, SUNY Oneonta In Ancient People of the Andes, Michael A. Malpass offers a balanced synthesis of the archaeological and historical record bearing on fundamental questions being addressed by contemporary scholars exploring an area of the Americas that has undergone explosive growth: How and why did Andean cultures develop into complex civilizations and to what extent did environmental and climate change play a role? Happily, there are more people than pots in archaeologist Malpass's book. A seasoned teacher as well, Malpass gives us a welcome, jargon-free narrative that differs from the ordinary by being highly student-oriented, yet his work will also appeal to readers well outside the classroom. -Anthony Aveni, Russell Colgate Distinguished University Professor of Astronomy, Anthropology, and Native American Studies, Colgate University Michael A. Malpass has given his colleagues and fellow instructors of Andean archaeology a fine text with exceptionally broad and inclusive coverage of the diverse array of pre-Hispanic cultures that developed up and down the cordillera of western South America. Using his own recipe to create this textbook based on personal classroom observations, Malpass finds just the right blend of theoretical depth and reader-accessibility with a writing style that is clear, engaging, and infused with infectious enthusiasm. -Warren Church, Columbus State University

Author Information

Michael A. Malpass is Charles A. Dana Professor in the Social Sciences and Professor of Anthropology at Ithaca College. He is the author of Daily Life in the Inca Empire, editor of Provincial Inca: Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Assessment of the Impact of the Inca State, and coeditor of Distant Provinces in the Inka Empire: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Inka Provincialism.

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