Hannah Abigail Sistrunk
Geographic Connection and Ideological Division: Inka Roads in Northern Ecuador
The Inka Empire is known for its extensive road system a monumental network of engineered routes across South America. My research will be focused on one section of Inka road located in Northern Ecuador in the region of the Pambamarca Archaeological Project. This area is known for fierce indigenous resistance to Inka imperial expansion resulting in the construction of several large fortress complexes. Focused on the nature of imperial expansion and local resistance, I will survey the Inka road and its features with the goal of creating a regional GIS map, recording archaeological structures along the route, and documenting construction methods. Ultimately, I will test the hypothesis that this Inka route was constructed in order to co-opt local trade routes and fracture local resistance.
Message to Sponsor
- Major: Anthropology
- Mentor: Christine Hastorf, Anthropology