Enchantment in ancient Peru: Salinar period murals and architecture

Abstract

This paper combines concerns about phenomenology and agency to examine the visuality and materiality of ancient clay and stone friezes in the Nepeña Valley, coastal Peru. Between 2003 and 2010, archaeological excavations documented a series of decorative architectural forms and enhancements associated with the Salinar phase (600–200 BC) residential and civic-ceremonial structures. I report on the discoveries and highlight the transition from polychrome figurative friezes of the Chavín and Cupisnique period to negativised, abstract forms during Salinar times. I detail the construction and material presence of the mural patterns, as well as their contexts of display and visuality. By delving into technical processes and properties of their forms as enchantment, I argue that the friezes graphically condensed spatial and temporal dimensions into special kinetic optical experiences. The efficacy of Salinar murals is discussed in light of their negativisation, abstraction, (im)materiality, and relations to architectural and spatial concepts. I conclude by discussing the broader sociohistorical implications of this shift in visualities including the disintegration of Chavín and Cupisnique’s esoteric styles and the increased popularity of murals, particularly in the realm of residential life and status competition.