Staff God's Shadow: Ideological Genealogies and State Formation in the Pre-Inca Andes

The Staff God iconography played a pivotal role in the formation and consolidation of pre-Inca Andean states, serving as a unifying ideological framework that facilitated political integration, labor mobilization, and hierarchical social structures. This study traces its evolution across key archaeological cultures like Chavín, Tiwanaku, and Wari, revealing how its symbolic transformations and regional appropriations legitimized state power. By synthesizing archaeological, iconographic, and ethnohistorical evidence, researchers demonstrate the profound influence of religious ideology on political organization in ancient Andean civilizations.

Revista, Z., & HISTORY, 10. (2025). Staff God's Shadow: Ideological Genealogies and State Formation in the Pre-Inca Andes. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.17790346