In treating economic models in prehispanic Peru, we must take into account that the country was not organized for the institution of the market and the use of money was unknown.

The Inca model has been qualified as redistributive due to the functions which the government itself fulfilled since a great part of the production was gathered up by the State, which in turn, distributed according to its obligations and its interest.

In societies dominated by redistribution, production and distribution of goods are organized based on a center-whether of a chief, a lord, a temple or a despot- the same one who gathers the products together, accumulates them and redistributes them to repay his agents, ensuring the maintenance and defense of common services and for preserving the social and political order. For many years Inca organization was praised and considered the materialization of a Utopia admired by Europeans. It was thought that storing products of all kinds had humanitarian objectives. This appreciation only demonstrates a lack of understanding of the economic mechanisms of the State.

A large part of redistribution was consumed by the reciprocity system, for the reason that the government saw itself obligated to constantly renew the great "donations" to the various signories, military chiefs, and to the huacas, among others.

The southern highlands

The beginnings of the study of highland economy have been investigated by John Murra and, according to him, to obtain products from different environments, the indigenous people made use of the system of enclaves. The highland nucleus controlled, by means of multiethnic colonies, zones situated in various microclimates distant from each other. We emphasize the word distant to indicate these enclaves were found at several days walk from the central nucleus, such as, for example, the enclaves of the altiplano dominated those situated on the coast or in the jungle. The problem that arises is how these enclaves began and through what documents we arrive at the conclusion that they are due to a previous conquest. On the southern coast it is possible that the inhabitants of the highlands did not find a yunga hegemony on the coast sufficiently powerful and organized to reject any attack from the people of the cordillera.

The central highlands

In ancient Peru the situation in the maritime cordillera was very different from that of the southern altiplano. Environmental conditions were totally different and made indigenous people seek their own model.

We obtained this information thanks to some documents about the zone of Canta, in the province of Lima from 1549 and 1532, when the indigenous organizational apparatus was still functioning. The terrain of the zone of Canta is quite steep and enjoys different climates within a relatively short distance, which allows the production of varied resources. We will explain its original organization which presents a new situation.

The Señorío of Canta included eight ayllus. To take care of crops located at different ecological levels one or two days walking distance away, they planned rotational, seasonal communal work for the eight ayllus. When they were performing communal tasks, they moved from one place to another with the objective of carrying out determined agricultural jobs. This limited transhumance lead them to possess, in addition to their permanent towns, some communal hamlets temporarily inhabited while they were performing agricultural work in the zone, for example, when they went to the puna to sow and harvest a high altitude plant called maca (Lepidium meyenii) or to shear their herds of camelids. At another time of the year they went down to the chaupi yunga or middle-altitude coastal region to the areas planted in coca or maize. Also for making objects needed by the community they used this rotational system, such as for weaving, making pottery or ojotas (Andean footwear) or the preparation of charqui, dried and dehydrated meat.

Page

1

2