COCHASQUÍ, 1532 A 1932: 400 AÑOS DE RESILIENCIA HISTÓRICA

Abstract

This article is the first in a series of explorations that we are developing pertaining to the history of Cochasquí. We begin with the earliest mentions of Cochasquí from the period of Spanish colonialism and how Inka imperial conquest and Spanish colonial policies led to the gradual depopulation of Cochasquí. We then discuss Cochasquí within the framework of Enlightenment Period cartography and scientific expeditions to show how Malchingui gradually overtook Cochasquí as the major population center in the region. We also discuss how, at the same time Cochasquí was diminishing as a regional center, national and global interest in its archaeological potential grew. Our exploration ends with the arrival of Max Uhle at the site in 1932 and the beginning of modern archaeological prospections of Cochasquí. While 400 years is a large swath of time to cover, this is but a synopsis of something much larger and we hope to better enunciate on in a series of historical moments that have been largely overlooked.