Persis B. Clarkson, Calogero M. Santoro, and Lautaro Núñez

Tom Lynch’s legacy in Europe, the United States and South America did not end with his death at 85 years on 25 May 2023. This obituary brings together invited reflections by some of his colleagues and friends over his half century of contributions to Andean archaeology and early peopling of the Americas, as well as anecdotes of inspiration to a plethora of archaeologists who have pursued vibrant careers in several parts of the world. Additional biographical details of his life can be found online at https://www.helmsfuneralhomes.com/obituary/thomas-lynch.

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Gabriel Prieto

In this article, we present the results from preliminary research at various Chimú archaeological sites surrounding Chan Chan, a pre-Hispanic city inhabited between A.D. 11th to 15th centuries. I emphasize the conception of an architectural mega-project sponsored and undertaken by the Chimú state in order to create an artificial valley where Chan Chan was built. Simultaneously, the whole geography was also organized for the building of roads, populated centers, crop fields, and irrigation canals surrounding the urban center. Part of this planning involved massive sacrifices of children and camelids – mostly near the coast. Additionally, the author indicates that the 12 km long wall built along the northern limit of Chan Chan may have served for protective purposes to defend the city’s built infrastructure against floods that affected the zone seasonally as a consequence of ENSO-type events.

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Carlos Delgado González

In the Huatanay River Basin and Jaquijahuana Pampa in the Cusco Region, Late Formative Period occupations at domestic sites were temporary and non-continuous. The ephemeral architecture of these populations resulted from their primary economic activities, including agropastoralism. This study analyzed Late Formative Period archaeological materials and strata from four sites within the study region: Yuthu, Marcavalle, Bandojan, and Minaspata. The results show that these sites were intermittently occupied and had low-level hierarchies. Over the centuries that followed, into the Early Intermediate Period, at the neighboring sites of Ak’awillay and Wimpillay, this pattern changed as they began to present characteristics of chiefdoms.

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Carlo José Ordóñez

Huánuco Pampa is considered one of the main establishments of Tawantinsuyu, as evidenced by its extension, urban design, and architectural characteristics that harmonize admirably with the surrounding landscape. Between 2013 and 2015, excavations were undertaken in a group of buildings in Sector IIB, called El Palacio, which revealed multiple contexts interpreted as evidence of ritual closures associated with a planned abandonment process carried out by the Inca elite. In this sense, and continuing with this proposal, this article exposes and analyzes, through the study of material remains, documentary sources and the rereading of previous excavations, the decisions and actions directed by the local ruling class in the face of the Empire's collapse. As such, it is expected to contribute to the study of the conquest perpetrated by the Spanish hosts led by Francisco Pizarro and its impact on the functioning of the Inca provincial centers.

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