Plazas and communal space in Nasca: changing patterns of public ritual through the Formative and Early Intermediate periods (800 B.C.– A.D. 650) on the south coast of Peru

A study of the Nasca region reveals that communal ritual spaces, such as plazas, were absent during the Early Nasca epoch, with rituals limited to pilgrimage centers like Cahuachi and associated geoglyphs. This pattern contrasts sharply with pre and post-Cahuachi eras, where plazas played a central role in settlements. The research analyzed data from multiple sites across the southern and northern Nasca regions (SNR and NNR) to assess how sociopolitical complexity, integration, and pilgrimage influenced the use of public ritual spaces during the Formative and Early Intermediate periods (800 B.C.– A.D. 650). The findings suggest that these factors were key in determining the nature and arrangement of communal spaces over time.

Vaughn, K. J., Conlee, C. A., Whalen, V., & Van Gijseghem, H. (2016). Plazas and communal space in Nasca: changing patterns of public ritual through the Formative and Early Intermediate periods (800 B.C.– A.D. 650) on the south coast of Peru. Ñawpa Pacha, 36(2), 111–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/00776297.2016.1239800