Imperial subjectivities: The archaeological materials from the Cemetery of the Sacrificed Women, Pachacamac, Peru

The present study examines over 1,000 artifacts from the Cemetery of the Sacrificed Women, a Late Horizon ritual burial context from the Temple of the Sun, Pachacamac, Peru. The forty-six individuals sacrificed and buried in the Cemetery are believed to have been acllas, a specialized class of female religious officials and textile producers within the Inka state. The acllas were drawn from Inka and subject populations, and installed at Inka administrative centers throughout the empire. The majority of research on the acllas is based on the many descriptions of the institution found in colonial documents. This study represents one of the first archaeological examinations of the acllas.;Using chaine operatoire methodology, I trace the flow of production techniques across textile categories, examining the degree and kind of variation within the Cemetery textile sample. This methodology reveals that the Pachacamac acllas engaged in multiple forms of textile production, incorporating techniques and iconography from a range of Andean traditions. A detailed examination of the loose and constituent yarns in the sample reveals that the acllas likely produced most of the clothing with which they were buried, and links the sample across production stages. Finally, the Cemetery textiles were produced in a workshop setting, with multiple artisans collaborating at each stage of production to create finished pieces.;Traditional models of Inka state service, particularly for the acllas, suggest that the ethnic identities of individuals incorporated into the state bureaucracy from subject populations were replaced by a new, Inka identity. I argue that the presence of non-Inka artifacts, particularly ceramics and textiles, indicate continued ties between the Pachacamac acllas and non-Inka communities, specifically the state of Chimor to the north and the southern highlands. Though the Pachacamac acllas were producing traditional Inka-style textiles for the state, they were also making clothing for themselves in both Inka and non-Inka styles. Both the production and wearing of this clothing indicate that the Pachacamac acllas formed a type of hybrid identity, incorporating their former ethnic identity into their new Inka role.