9307513 Bauer With support from the National Science Foundation, Dr. Brian Bauer will continue his examination of the Incan system of "ceques" which were described by the earliest Spanish missionaries. What these documents indicate is a system of 41 or 42 hypothetical lines (ceques) which radiated out from the capitol of Cuzco in highland Peru. Religious shrines were situated at various points along these lines. In past work Dr. Bauer has located some of these shrines on the ground but many remain unknown. To complete this task, he and Peruvian colleagues will first study archival documents which are located in repositories in both Peru and Spain. They will then conduct field survey to locate the places actually described. On this basis it will be possible to reconstruct the ceque system and how it functioned and then to situate it in real space. Although this research may appear to concern an esoteric ritual system, it in fact provides direct insight into how states function. Lacking both writing and wheeled vehicles, the Inca rulers created an empire which extended beyond the boundaries of present day Peru and which integrated large numbers of people who spoke diverse languages and lived in very different environments. A question which interests archaeologists is how such a complex system was maintained. Information available indicates that the ceque system played a central role in this. Ceque lines marked major boundaries between kin groups and the maintenance of individual shrines was also based on kin and social ties. Thus the ceque system may provide insight and a way to approach more basic questions of social organization. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will also increase our understanding of how complex societies develop and are maintained. ***
