﻿Vol.2] 
  ANDEAN 
  HIGHLANDS 
  — 
  BENNETT 
  33 
  

  

  Mochica 
  ceramics 
  might 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  furnish 
  evidence 
  thereof, 
  but 
  

   actually 
  the 
  ceramic 
  design 
  and 
  modeling 
  depict 
  but 
  few 
  scenes 
  that 
  

   have 
  anything 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  children. 
  Information 
  on 
  marriage 
  customs 
  

   in 
  jyre-Inca 
  times 
  is 
  likewise 
  lacking. 
  

  

  Burial 
  practices 
  are, 
  of 
  course, 
  well 
  known. 
  In 
  every 
  period, 
  the 
  

   graves 
  indicate 
  an 
  elaborate 
  concern 
  about 
  the 
  disposal 
  of 
  the 
  dead. 
  

   Graves 
  are 
  generally 
  well 
  made. 
  The 
  bodies 
  were 
  prepared 
  especially 
  

   for 
  burial, 
  and 
  commonly 
  they 
  were 
  elaborately 
  wrapped 
  in 
  specially 
  

   woven 
  cloth. 
  Grave 
  goods 
  were 
  of 
  good 
  quality 
  and 
  quantity, 
  al- 
  

   though 
  this 
  depended 
  in 
  part 
  on 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  deceased 
  indi- 
  

   vidual. 
  Scenes 
  on 
  Early 
  Period 
  ceramics 
  show 
  funeral 
  dances 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  dancers 
  are 
  represented 
  as 
  skeletons. 
  

  

  The 
  localized 
  endogamous 
  ayllu 
  was 
  a 
  basic 
  unit 
  in 
  Inca 
  social 
  or- 
  

   ganization. 
  The 
  patrilineal 
  extended 
  family 
  and 
  ayllu-like 
  local 
  

   group 
  are 
  undoubtedly 
  old, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  prove 
  this 
  archeolog- 
  

   ically. 
  However, 
  standard 
  types 
  of 
  headdress 
  and 
  face 
  painting 
  de- 
  

   picted 
  in 
  the 
  Mochica 
  Periods 
  might 
  possibly 
  represent 
  symbols 
  of 
  

   ayllu 
  affiliation, 
  and 
  the 
  small 
  village 
  sites 
  might 
  suggest 
  organized 
  

   local 
  groups. 
  The 
  Inca 
  town 
  of 
  Machu 
  Picchu 
  had 
  residence 
  units 
  for 
  

   each 
  ayllu, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  Late 
  Period 
  cities 
  similar 
  unit 
  divi- 
  

   sions 
  are 
  found. 
  The 
  Inca 
  moiety 
  is 
  also 
  of 
  considerable 
  antiquity 
  in 
  

   all 
  probability, 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  confirming 
  evidence. 
  

  

  Class 
  distinctions 
  apparently 
  date 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  Early 
  Periods, 
  if 
  one 
  

   can 
  so 
  infer 
  from 
  ceramic 
  designs. 
  For 
  example, 
  one 
  design 
  shows 
  an 
  

   elaborately 
  dressed 
  figure 
  carried 
  in 
  a 
  litter 
  by 
  servants. 
  Another 
  is 
  

   a 
  banquet 
  scene 
  in 
  which 
  a 
  prominent 
  individual 
  is 
  being 
  served. 
  De- 
  

   tails 
  on 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  portrait 
  jars 
  can 
  be 
  interpreted 
  as 
  emblems 
  of 
  

   rank. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  certain, 
  however, 
  that 
  such 
  class 
  distinctions 
  ever 
  

   crystallized 
  into 
  a 
  caste 
  system 
  in 
  pre-Inca 
  Periods. 
  

  

  The 
  elaborate 
  mathematical 
  political 
  organization 
  of 
  Inca 
  society 
  

   was 
  probably 
  a 
  recent 
  development. 
  In 
  previous 
  periods, 
  chiefs, 
  war 
  

   chiefs, 
  and 
  others 
  of 
  high 
  rank 
  are 
  represented, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  evi- 
  

   dence 
  of 
  the 
  extension 
  of 
  a 
  political 
  control 
  over 
  large 
  areas. 
  For 
  ex- 
  

   ample, 
  Mochica 
  ceramics 
  of 
  the 
  Early 
  Periods 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  abundance 
  

   in 
  the 
  three 
  valleys 
  of 
  Chicama, 
  Moche, 
  and 
  Viru, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  certain 
  

   that 
  these 
  valleys 
  were 
  united 
  under 
  a 
  single 
  ruler. 
  Instead, 
  the 
  

   numerous 
  battle 
  scenes 
  represent 
  opposing 
  warriors 
  of 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  

   dress, 
  and 
  suggest 
  considerable 
  conflict 
  within 
  the 
  Mochica 
  culture. 
  

   However, 
  many 
  scenes 
  on 
  Mochica 
  vessels 
  depict 
  forms 
  of 
  punish- 
  

   ment, 
  implying 
  an 
  organized 
  government 
  and 
  a 
  legal 
  system. 
  

  

  The 
  size 
  of 
  building 
  units 
  in 
  all 
  periods 
  is 
  proof 
  that 
  large 
  numbers 
  

   of 
  people 
  were 
  effectively 
  organized. 
  In 
  general, 
  there 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  a 
  gradual 
  development 
  of 
  political 
  systems, 
  culminating 
  in 
  the 
  

   Inca 
  Empire. 
  Previous 
  to 
  this, 
  local 
  groups 
  were 
  led 
  by 
  war 
  chiefs. 
  

   Then 
  several 
  groups 
  might 
  be 
  united 
  in 
  a 
  loose 
  confederacy. 
  The 
  

  

  