The decline of the Chavín theocratic state: epistemological notes
The debate on state formation in Chavín de Huántar was shaped by the category of the “theocratic state,” particularly by Luis Lumbreras and Henry Tantaleán proposals. This article subjects these interpretations to an epistemological and ontological critique, revealing their limited explanatory capac...
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| Autores principales: | , |
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| Formato: | Artículo publishedVersion |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Sección Etnohistoria, Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. FFyL, UBA
2025
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/MA/article/view/16965 https://repositoriouba.sisbi.uba.ar/gsdl/cgi-bin/library.cgi?a=d&c=MA&d=16965_oai |
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| Sumario: | The debate on state formation in Chavín de Huántar was shaped by the category of the “theocratic state,” particularly by Luis Lumbreras and Henry Tantaleán proposals. This article subjects these interpretations to an epistemological and ontological critique, revealing their limited explanatory capacity and their tendency to impose a structured narrative on the archaeological record without rigorous theoretical and methodological mediation. Based on this critical reassessment, the article proposes to understand the state as a contingent historical possibility, rooted in specific material conditions and articulated through a set of relational categories. The proposal is structured around three pillars: 1) a theoretical clarification of the state concept and its constitutive categories -exploitation, social classes, property, and ideology-; 2) the formulation of concrete scenarios and social relations in which these categories may have historically materialized; and 3) the critical articulation between the observable archaeological record and the social practices that gave rise to it. |
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