Inka special occasion food

Abstract

ABSTRACT Human relations are established and maintained through the sharing of food. Indeed, it has been asserted that eating and drinking play a vital role in the creation of lasting bonds. The Inka state, familiar with the benefits brought by sharing food and drinks, purposely staged extravagant banquets that were accompanied by songs and dances. For an expansive state such as the Inka, the annexation of new peoples and their lands often required complex negotiations that as a norm involved sharing food. State sponsored banquets formed part of ritual celebrations and provided the state the best opportunity to showcase not only its generosity, but also its might. While it is known that at such special occasions the Inka state served plenty of the maize beer chicha, the type of food prepared for such gatherings has remained less apparent. Recent research carried out at the provincial Inka centre of Tambo Viejo, in the Acari Valley of the Peruvian south coast, resulted in the unprecedented discovery of earthen ovens that were used to roast special occasion meals. In addition to the recovery of charred unfragmented camelid bones, the arid conditions of the region allowed us to recover partially burnt sweet potatoes in association with the ovens. The new evidence coming from Tambo Viejo enables us for the first time to have some sense of the kind of food served at the state sponsored feasts staged in the provinces.