Assessment Questions 13.4

1. Where was the Wari civilization located, and what characterized its capital city?

The Wari civilization was located near the modern Peruvian city of Ayacucho in the Peruvian highlands. The capital city of Wari was an enormous enclosure with walled neighborhoods covering about 2 km2, featuring monumental constructions, some walls reaching 12 m (40 ft) high and several meters thick.

2. What agricultural practices did the Wari civilization employ, and how did they maintain control over their territories?

Unlike Tiwanaku, the Wari did not practice raised-field agriculture. Instead, they employed a labor-intensive and highly productive engineered agricultural system involving terraced fields, similar to those seen at Teotihuacán in Mexico. The Wari also utilized an extensive system of irrigation works, including long canals bringing water from the uplands. The Wari elite maintained control over their territories by constructing regional administrative centers across Wari territory, such as Azángaro, Pikilacta, and Jincamocco, where local populations participated in the Wari state by providing surplus food and labor for monumental works.

3. What evidence suggests the influence and power of the Wari elite, and how did they maintain their empire?

Wari religious iconography is found represented in textiles and pottery across western South America, indicating the broad influence of Wari gods and the elite associated with them. The Wari elite maintained their far-reaching empire by controlling outlying regions and directing surplus labor and wealth to their capital. Regional administrative centers, including smaller versions of Wari, were constructed in different areas, serving as local offices of the elite to ensure local populations' participation in the Wari state.