Theory in archaeology often concentrates on the rise or collapse of civilizations, while periods of instability following collapse have been underresearched. This is especially true in Bolivias southern Titicaca basin, where previous investigations have focused on the growth, expansion, and collapse of Tiwanaku. The goal of this dissertation was to use the large settlement of Pukara de Khonkho (located just 25 km south of Tiwanaku) as a test case to examine post-collapse community development and to clarify the local chronology, specifically considering the roles of population movement and intercommunity interaction. The research expands a body of literature on the archaeology of communities, a frame which is especially useful given the local nature of post-collapse developments. Pukara de Khonkho was examined through a multifaceted program of archaeological excavation, mapping, and artifact analysis. In order to put the site in regional and temporal context, additional research was conducted into Late Intermediate Period components at the nearby site of Khonkho Wankane and the Inca-Colonial site of Chaucha de Khula Marka. The major analytic focus was on a study of ceramics, including the creation of a new local typology. This new data provides a more nuanced understanding than was previously possible of Late Intermediate Period occupation in the southern Titicaca Basin and illustrates the broader value of post-collapse studies. Following Tiwanaku collapse (ca. 1150 AD), the ceremonial centers of the altiplano were virtually abandoned, giving way to smaller, ephemeral settlements, including ritual and quotidian use of pre-Tiwanaku sites like Khonkho Wankane. Research conducted for this dissertation has demonstrated that around 1300 AD some of these scattered populations began to come together at Pukara de Khonkho. Investigations illustrated that the site was well-integrated into the local landscape, with clearly defined areas for ritual, mortuary, domestic, and agricultural purposes as well as a shared pattern of material culture. The site was abruptly abandoned around the time of Inca conquest.

This dissertation investigates the bio-cultural impacts of Wari imperial collapse in the highland Andean region of Andahuaylas, Peru. Using a comprehensive social bioarchaeological approach based on both lab work and fieldwork, skeletal, artifactual, bio-geochemical, ethnohistoric and ethnographic data are incorporated within a social and environmental archaeological context. Mortuary practices, migratory patterns, dietary trends, health indices, patterns of biological affinity, incidences of trepanation, cranial modification, and trauma are assessed to better understand how they factor in to the reformulation of ethnic identity, and variable experiences of violence during the early post-imperial era (ca. AD 1000 1250). These data are then used to better understand how lifeways were renegotiated following tempestuous socio-political transformations. The research demonstrates that state collapse and societal restructuring variably impacted sub-population groups. Moreover, ethnogenesis, the creation of novel ethnic groups, and ethnocide, the targeted killing of ethnic groups, are linked processes in the post-collapse era. Thus, although post-imperial times may be fraught with want and deprivation, they are also crucibles for regeneration, innovation, and resilience.

Kinship and marriage among the Mudugas of Attappady in Kerala

Health culture of Lambadas of Ambodh Tanda

A study of the sacred groves of Jaspurnagar Chattisgarh

Formal education among the Savara

A study of two villages in Manipur

Socio-cultural adaptations

A study of caste, family, and individual in a Telangana village

Kinship and marriage among the Mudugas