North and South in the ancient Central Andes: contextualizing the archaeological record with evidence from linguistics and molecular anthropology

The Central Andes are characterized by the early emergence of complex societies and a chequered yet continuous cultural tradition. However, at least for certain points of time in the cultural development, the overall cohesiveness of this ‘culture area’ has been called into question, favoring an alternative perspective that emphasizes the existence of several relatively independent nuclei of development on the North Coast, the southern Peruvian Highlands and the Titicaca basin, with distinct cultural expressions and political organization. Here, we engage archaeological evidence and its interpretation with newly emerging perspectives from linguistics and genetics (modern and ancient DNA), including new targeted genetic analysis, to add fresh evidence to the question of the internal structure and cohesiveness of the ancient Central Andes as a culture area. The double cultural/biological approach points at a North vs. South structure bisecting the Central Andes that becomes appreciable ~2,000 years ago; however, as the evidence from all three disciplines indicates, too, the spheres have remained connected and hence maintained an overall cohesiveness. Our analysis suggests that demographic population structure precedes the constitution of distinct cultural domains, a pattern which is to be verified in other chronological transects in South America and at a global scale.1. Introduction 2. Central Andean archaeology: North and South. 3. From archaeology to a broad anthropological perspective: Conceptualization and limitations 4. The view from language 4.1. Perspectives on North-South structure in the Central Andes from 16th century language geography 4.2. Perspectives on North-South structure in the Central Andes from language contact patterns and areal convergence in language structure 5. The view from genetics 5.1. Perspectives on North-South structure in the Central Andes from studies of uniparental markers 5.2. Perspectives on North-South structure in the Central Andes from full genome analyses 5.3. Timing the emergence of population structure in genetics 5.3.1. Introduction 5.3.2. Methods 5.3.3. Results 6. Discussio

Multilingualism in the Andes and Amazonia: A View from In‐between

Language Use in Past and Presen

A importância de ser Uros: movimentos indígenas, políticas de identidade e pesquisa genética nos Andes Peruanos

O objetivo deste artigo é explorar as inter-relações entre a pesquisa genética, as lutas políticas de movimentos indígenas e os processos de formação de identidade étnica. Em particular, visa analisar as condições sociais que levaram à colaboração entre os uros, um grupo indígena que habita as ilhas flutuantes do lago Titicaca (Peru), e pesquisadores do projeto Genográfico. Os uros, cujas reivindicações de uma identidade étnica diferenciada eram altamente contestadas no âmbito local, se associaram aos geneticistas com o objetivo de obter um apoio científico para a afirmação dessa identidade e como parte das suas estratégias políticas e demandas territoriais. Assim, esse caso contribui ao maior entendimento da incorporação da pesquisa genética dentro de políticas conceituais travadas em torno das identidades étnicas, bem como da articulação do conhecimento genético com registros preexistentes para definir tais identidadesThe objective of this paper is to explore the interrelations between genetic research with human populations, the political strategies of indigenous movements and processes of identity formation. In particular, it will analyse the social conditions that have resulted in the collaboration between the Uros, an indigenous group living on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca (Peru), and researchers of the Genographic project. The Uros, whose claims to a differentiated ethnic identity were highly contested within the local context, engaged with geneticists with the aim to obtain scientific support for this identity. This was part of their political strategies for their territorial rights. As such, this case offers new insights into the incorporation of genetic research within the conceptual politics waged around ethnic identities, as well as the articulation of genetic knowledge with pre-existing registers to define such identitie