The Longue Durée of Andean Movement Networks: Case Study in the Lauca Altiplano

A multi-scale analysis of the Lauca Altiplano reveals that Andean movement networks, including those linked to the Qhapaq Ñan and Potosí silver mines, exhibited remarkable resilience over millennia, with indigenous actors maintaining these systems despite minimal investment from the Inca and Spanish Empires. Combining historical maps, satellite imagery, field surveys, and stratigraphic data at way station settlements (tambo sites), researchers demonstrated that road networks persisted until modern territorial changes, challenging assumptions about imperial influence on transportation infrastructure in the Andes.

Saintenoy, T., Lima, P., Uribe, M., Carvajal, F., González, C., Crespo, M., Malvarez, M. F., Mendez-Quiros, P., Jofré, D., & González, F. (2025). The Longue Durée of Andean Movement Networks: Case Study in the Lauca Altiplano. Journal of Field Archaeology, 50(8), 717–736. https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2025.2534236