Materializing value: a comparative analysis of status and distinction in urban Tiwanaku, Bolivia

Inhabitants of the ancient Tiwanaku culture demonstrated selective use of material goods to express status and distinction, challenging assumptions about wealth distribution across the city's sectors. A comparative analysis of architecture and ceramics from two ritual and residential compounds revealed that while some residents employed valuable objects for social differentiation, this was not universally practiced. The study highlights the cultural embeddedness of wealth ideas and emphasizes the need for holistic interpretations to understand past material value systems.

Mattox, Christopher. (2012). Materializing value: a comparative analysis of status and distinction in urban Tiwanaku, Bolivia [McGill University]. https://doi.org/10.82308/35097