RECUAY CULTURE: HISTORY AND MOST RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS - HISTORY - 2025

The recuay culture was a pre-Columbian culture that developed in Peru between 200 BC and 600 BC. It coexisted with other civilizations such as the Mochicas and the Nazcas.

At present there is no consensus on the name that should be given to this culture. They received the name recuay because it was considered that their social, political and economic center was the homonymous city located in the Peruvian department of Áncash.

However, other historians affirm that it should be called the “Callejón de Huaylas culture”, because in this area they got more remains of this civilization. Sometimes they are also called “holy” culture because the Santa River passed through Recuay.

They excelled in architecture and ceramics. Its buildings were characterized by the use of basements and other underground chambers.

Regarding ceramics, although they were notable, the recuay sculptural works did not reach the level of the Mochica manifestations.

Location

The recuay culture developed in the valley formed by the Santa River in the Recuay province, currently in the department of Áncash. This area was adjacent to the Callejón de Huaylas, located in the same department.

In their heyday they expanded considerably, occupying the territories of the province of Pallasca and the Huarmey and Casma valleys.

History

Scholars of this culture point out that in the beginning the recuay were made up of barbarian groups that attacked other civilizations.

In this way, the recuay came into contact with the chavines and invaded their territory. The recuay culture was to be developed in this space.

After having destroyed the Chavín organization, the Recuay settled in the valley by observing the availability of food and water sources.

With the passage of time they became civilized and finally organized into a more or less advanced society.

Economy

Agriculture and livestock were the two economic activities developed by the Recuay culture, the latter being the most important.

The livestock of typical camelids of the area, such as llamas, alpacas and vicuñas, was essential for the development of the daily activities of the Recuay.

These animals not only provided meat and leather, but were also ideal for moving around the Peruvian highlands.

In addition to this, fabrics that were used in the textile industry were created from the fur of these animals.

For their part, the camelid bones were carved in order to create weapons and other utensils.

At present, remains of buildings have been found that surely served as corrals for the breeding of this type of cattle.

Religion

The artistic representations of the recuay keep records about the gods of this culture. The main deities were the Sun and the Moon, who were drawn with cups full of blood.

The Recuay also worshiped llamas and alpacas, as they were aware that the survival of their culture depended largely on the fertility of these animals.

Military organization

The recuay culture was a militarized society. As proof of this, archaeological remains of fortresses and other buildings of a military nature have been found.

Some historians consider that the presence of the Recuay and their military society were the agents that prevented the expansion of the Mochica culture towards the Peruvian highlands.

Architecture

Recuay architecture was characterized by the use of underground rooms in its constructions, both in the temples and in the houses and warehouses.

The materials used were stone and adobe. However, in the religious constructions carved stones were used, while in the others ordinary stones were used.

Four types of buildings can be distinguished in the Recuay culture: religious, civil, funeral and military.

1- Religious buildings

Religious buildings, such as temples, were made of carved stones.

These consisted of a courtyard, below which were underground chambers. It is believed that these could have been tombs or warehouses.

2- Civil constructions

The houses and other residences of the Recuay were made of semi-worked stone.

They had one or four rooms that were organized around a central patio. These rooms were connected to each other.

Many houses had basements in addition to rooms, while others were completely underground.

3- Military constructions

The military constructions were surrounded by thick walls and moats. They were erected in strategic points, where the recuay could have an advantage.

4- Funeral constructions

The funerary constructions of this culture are some of the most advanced in the Latin American Andes.

Many of the tombs were large subterranean constructions, measuring between 10 and 20 meters long.

Other tombs were made up of stone mausoleums, dedicated to the most important members of society.

Ceramics and sculpture

The recuay worked with white kaolin, which could be oxidized to get the color black and different shades of red, going through yellow and orange to ocher.

To work with this material, large furnaces were built that allowed the kaolin to be heated to high temperatures, so that it acquired resistance.

To a large extent, ceramics were used to make small decorative sculptures. The subjects represented were humans, pumas, birds, and other animals.

The Recuay also worked with stone to create large sculptures. These constituted a kind of monolith that stood in the middle of the squares, tombs and other areas of the city. The elements represented were divine figures.

Relationship between culture and other cultures

The recuay culture occupied a large part of the territory that previously belonged to the chavín culture. For this reason, the influence of the chavines is observed in many aspects of Recuay society.

For example, the use of underground chambers in constructions and the way of working with stone to make sculptures are part of the heritage of the Chavines.

The recuay culture developed in a contemporary way with the Mochica culture, which lived on the north coast.

The relations between these two civilizations were not friendly, since they had to compete for the same sources of water.

The fact that the Recuay were a militarized society suggests the possibility that these two groups may have faced each other in a war or similar encounter.

References

1. Andean Expressions. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from uipress.uiowa.edu
2. Andean Expressions: Art and Archeology of the Recuay Culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from researchgate.net
3. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from britannica.com
4. Recuay culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from academia.edu
5. Recuay culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from wikipedia.org
6. The Recuay culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from tampere.fi
7. The Recuay Culture of Peru's North-Central Highlands. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from jstor.org