Early Colonial Period

In some respects the Late Pacajes settlement pattern is essentially very similar to the Pacajes-Inka one. Population continued to grow, though at a slower rate (0.52% annually). Even this reduced rate, however, strongly implies a continued influx of population onto the peninsula, especially given simultaneous population declines in neighboring areas. The site founding index continued to be high, indicating continued settlement expansion, while average site size and the occupation continuity index remained relatively low, indicating the continued predominance of dispersed and relatively short-term habitations. The Late Pacajes site size hierarchy is also nearly identical to that of the Pacajes-Inka phase, as is made clear in Figure 10.5.

On the other hand, the Late Pacajes settlement system is quite different. Figure 10.6b is a density map of Late Pacajes population on the Taraco Peninsula. The preeminence of the site of Sonaji (T-271) is clear. Figure 10.7b shows the change in population density on the Taraco Peninsula from the Pacajes-Inka phase through the Late Pacajes phase. The depressed areas represent the abandonment of every single one of the earlier Pacajes-Inka phase villages described above. Thus, while the Late Pacajes site size hierarchy was a two-tier one, as was that of the Late Horizon, all of the Pacajes-Inka phase villages were abandoned and a new local center was established at the present location of the town of Santa Rosa. This settlement (Sonaji [T-271]) was the sole village on the Taraco Peninsula during the Late Pacajes phase. The remainder of the population - which was actually quite substantial - lived in small hamlets and farmsteads scattered about the landscape.