Wari culture
In the year 600 A.D., a group of Wari people took control of small villages in Peru's Carahuarazo Valley. This incursion caused many existing villages to be abandoned, with one partially destroyed to make room for an administrative center known as Jincamocco. The Wari introduced terracing agriculture to the area, shifting staple crops from tubers to both tubers and maize. Storage structures found in the area were paired with agricultural sites, likely used to store these new crop combinations. Wari occupation of the Carahuarazo Valley lasted until roughly 800 A.D., leading to the abandonment of most valley sites after that time. Early on, the Wari expanded their territory to include the ancient oracle center of Pachacamac, though it seems to have remained largely autonomous. Later, the Wari became dominant in much of the territory of the earlier Moche and later Chimu cultures. The reason for this expansion has been debated; it is believed to have been driven by religious conversion, the spread of agricultural knowledge, or military conquest. Evidence of violence present in Wari culture is most visible at the city of Conchopata.
During its expansion period, the Wari state established architecturally distinctive administrative centers in many provinces. These centers often lacked formal planning compared to other Andean cities. They were clearly different from the architecture of Tiwanaku, which some scholars believe was a more federalized state. Wari architecture was most often made of rough fieldstones coated in white plaster. The compounds were usually large, rectangular enclosures with no windows and just a few entries. Sites had no central place for people to gather for rituals or ceremonies. This stands in almost direct contrast with Tiwanaku where there was a more open architectural plan. A form of architecture distinctive to Wari was the use of D-shaped structures. These structures were commonly used for temples and were relatively small at only 10 meters. Using administrative centers like their temples, the Wari greatly influenced the surrounding countryside. Along the Inca highway system, several Wari provincial sites were found, suggesting that the Wari used a similar road network. They also created new fields with terraced field technology, which the Inca later drew inspiration from.
The Wari worshipped the Staff god, a chief deity in many Andean cultures. Some of the oldest depictions of the Staff god appear on Wari textiles and pottery urns estimated to be over 3,000 years old. Some scholars believe that the Wari Staff god was a predecessor of the three Incan principle gods: Sun, Moon, and Thunder. The Wari practiced animal sacrifice. Complete skeletal remains of a young camelid and thirty-two guinea pigs were found buried in a lineage house in the city of Conchopata. This city is located ten kilometers from the capital city of Wari. The complete nature of the remains as well as the age of the camelid point toward animals being sacrificed at the end of the Ayachuco valley's rainy season. In one of the D-shaped temples at Conchopata, there were large smashed chicha vessels on the floor. Human heads were placed as offerings as a form of human sacrifice.
The Wari are particularly known for their textiles which were well-preserved in desert burials. Standardization of textile motifs serves as artistic evidence of state control over elite art production. Surviving textiles include tapestries, hats, and tunics for high-ranking officials. There are between six and nine miles of thread in each tunic. They often feature highly abstracted versions of typical Andean artistic motifs such as the Staff God. It is possible these abstract designs served a mysterious or esoteric code to keep out uninitiated foreign subjects. Geometric distortions made the wearer's chest appear larger to reflect their high rank. The Wari also produced highly sophisticated metalwork and ceramics with similar designs to the textiles. Most common metals used were silver and copper though gold Wari artifacts also survive. Common metal objects included qiru bowls, jewelry, mummy bundle masks, mantle pins, and sheet figures demonstrating how tunics were worn. Ceramics were typically polychrome and frequently depicted food and animals. Conchopata appears to have been the ceramic center of Wari culture given high quantities of pottery tools firing rooms pit kilns potsherds and ceramic molds.
As a result of centuries of drought, the Wari culture began to deteriorate around 800 AD. Archaeologists determined that the city of Wari was dramatically depopulated by 1000 AD although it continued to be occupied by a small number of descendant groups. Buildings in Wari and other government centers had doorways deliberately blocked up as if the Wari intended to return someday when rains returned. By this time the Wari had faded from history. In the meantime, dwindling residents ceased all major construction. Archaeological evidence shows significant levels of interpersonal violence suggesting warfare and raiding increased among rival groups upon collapse of the state structure. With the collapse of the Wari, the Late Intermediate Period is said to begin. There is still debate whether the Wari dominated the Central Coast or if polities on the Central Coast were commercial states capable of interacting without being politically dominated. The best-preserved remnants besides the Huari ruins are the recently discovered Northern Wari ruins near Chiclayo and Cerro Baúl in Moquegua. Also well-known are the Wari ruins of Pikillaqta located south-east of Cuzco en route to Lake Titicaca.
Common questions
When did the Wari culture begin and end?
The Wari culture existed from approximately 500 BCE until around 1000 CE. The state began to deteriorate due to centuries of drought around 800 AD, and the city of Wari was dramatically depopulated by 1000 AD.
What were the main reasons for the expansion of the Wari state?
Scholars believe the expansion of the Wari state was driven by religious conversion, the spread of agricultural knowledge, or military conquest. Evidence of violence is most visible at the city of Conchopata, suggesting military conquest played a role in their dominance over earlier Moche and later Chimu territories.
How did the Wari culture practice religion and sacrifice?
The Wari worshipped the Staff god as a chief deity and practiced animal sacrifice including complete skeletal remains of a young camelid and thirty-two guinea pigs found in Conchopata. Human sacrifice also occurred with human heads placed as offerings inside D-shaped temples alongside smashed chicha vessels.
What are the distinctive architectural features of Wari administrative centers?
Wari architecture consisted of rough fieldstones coated in white plaster forming large rectangular enclosures with no windows and just a few entries. A form of architecture distinctive to Wari was the use of small D-shaped structures measuring only 10 meters that served as temples.
What evidence exists regarding social hierarchy within Wari society?
Burials at El Castillo de Huarmey indicate significant material wealth for royal women who dominated northern coastal Peru for many decades. Excavations at Conchopata revealed systematic hierarchy through burial stratification showing servants middle-class people elites and perhaps low kings or governors occupying the city.