In the Pacajes-Inka phase, the population of the Taraco Peninsula
grew at the very rapid rate of 1.07% annually (Table 10.2).
It should be remembered that this is something like ten times the
rate of natural increase, and is roughly equivalent to the rate of
growth of the city of Tiwanaku in the period of its most rapid expansion
(the LF2; see Chapter 7). Such a high rate of population
growth indicates that people were moving onto the Taraco Peninsula
in large numbers. This is consistent with the documented population
decreases that occurred at this time in the nearby Tiwanaku Valley.
In the Lower Tiwanaku Valley, population decreased at an annual rate
of some -0.29%. Mathews's figures from the Middle Tiwanaku Valley
suggest an even higher rate, perhaps as much as -3.0% annually.![[*]](file:/usr/share/latex2html/icons/footnote.png){kind=icon}
This phenomenon, the relocation of population from inland areas to
the lakeshore, is entirely consistent with what we know of the Inka
practice of statecraft. The Inka frequently relocated subject populations
in order to facilitate their governance or to shift their economic
focus (cf. [Rowe 1946,Rowe 1982]). In the case of the Titicaca Basin
a general shift from inland areas to the lakeshore zone seems to characterize
the Late Horizon (see also [Mathews 1992]: 192, [Stanish et al. 1997]: 58,
[Stanish 1997]). This pattern may indicate that the Inka state
was attempting to increase agricultural production, as opposed to
the more mixed agro-pastoral economy of the Late Intermediate Period,
and particularly agricultural production in those areas of the Titicaca
Basin which can support maize. The low occupation continuity index value, and the high site founding
index value, are consistent with this scenario, indicating a substantial
reorganization and expansion of settlement on the peninsula in the
Late Horizon.
Whatever the case, the Pacajes-Inka settlement pattern clearly reflects
reorganization into an Inka provincial administrative area. In contrast
to the Early Pacajes phase, in which no site size hierarchy could
be discerned (Figure 9.3), the Pacajes-Inka
phase has a clear two-tier site size hierarchy. The top tier includes
three sites with population index values of 300-400. These are Janko
Kala (T-394), Waka Kala (T-421) and Ollajaya Pata (T-345). Of these
Janko Kala is the largest. When considered together with nearby satellite
villages and hamlets, there is no doubt that it is the principal Late Horizon site on the
peninsula. The second-tier sites include a few smaller villages, and
many hamlets and farmsteads.
This settlement hierarchy shows up nicely in the population density surface plot (Figure 10.6a). Three main peaks are evident, representing the three first-tier villages. The main population concentration is clearly defined by the sites of Janko Kala and Wankarani and the smaller sites located between them.
