Cartographies of heritage routes: networks and territorial reconfigurations of the Qhapaq Ñan – Andean road system
Purpose This study provides a territorial characterization of the Qhapaq Ñan through a multiscale cartographic analysis of its historical and contemporary routes, comparing the Inca road system with the present-day heritage network recognized within Peruvian territory. The Qhapaq Ñan was the largest...
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | inglés |
| Publicado: |
2026
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | Enlace permanente (DOI o Handle) Enlace permanente (DOI o Handle) |
| Etiquetas: |
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| _version_ | 1881508913718755328 |
|---|---|
| author | Cristian Yarasca-Aybar Joan Curós |
| author_browse | Cristian Yarasca-Aybar Joan Curós |
| author_facet | Cristian Yarasca-Aybar Joan Curós |
| author_sort | Cristian Yarasca-Aybar |
| collection | Producción científica |
| description | Purpose This study provides a territorial characterization of the Qhapaq Ñan through a multiscale cartographic analysis of its historical and contemporary routes, comparing the Inca road system with the present-day heritage network recognized within Peruvian territory. The Qhapaq Ñan was the largest infrastructure in pre-Columbian America, consolidated by the Incas in the 15th century to integrate an extensive territory in South America. Its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 reflects the continued use of many of its segments by rural Andean communities. Design/methodology/approach A territorial and multiscalar approach is employed to examine the Qhapaq Ñan as a system that continues to shape socio-spatial dynamics in the Andean region. This study draws on open-access georeferenced data from SIGDA (Geographic Information System of Archaeology), complemented by historical scholarship and official technical documentation produced by the Peruvian state. Findings The contemporary Qhapaq Ñan is a physically discontinuous road network. The preserved stretches form a fragmented whole due to historical processes of destruction of the original layout. The system no longer retains its capillary territorial model, which once articulated settlements with a distant imperial center. Nonetheless, despite the loss of macro-regional continuity, the Qhapaq Ñan remains tangible, albeit sectorized, manifesting through localized stretches and nodes that preserve functional and symbolic relevance. Originality/value While most academic studies conceptualize the Qhapaq Ñan primarily as an archaeological asset, this article addresses a gap by approaching it as a system of routes, emphasizing its spatial inscription and contemporary relevance within the Andean landscape. |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:cris.upeu.edu.pe:20.500.15037/639 |
| institution | UPeU |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oai:cris.upeu.edu.pe:20.500.15037/6392026-10-30T16:14:44ZCartographies of heritage routes: networks and territorial reconfigurations of the Qhapaq Ñan – Andean road systemCristian Yarasca-AybarJoan CurósGeoreferenceScholarshipGeographyHuman settlementDocumentationRelevance (law)Cultural heritageArchaeologyHistoryPrehistoryWorld heritageEthnologyRegional scienceAnthropologyHistorical ecologyEthnographyGeopoliticsEconomic geographyComparative historical researchHistorical heritageState (computer science)DigitizationHistorical archaeologySpatializationHistorical anthropologyCultural landscapeHuman geographyTask (project management)Cultural heritage managementGeoreferenceScholarshipHuman settlementDocumentationRelevance (law)Cultural heritagePrehistoryWorld heritageHistorical ecologyPhysical Sciences Earth and Planetary Sciences Paleontology Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesSocial Sciences Arts and Humanities Archeology Cultural Heritage Management and PreservationSocial Sciences Social Sciences Political Science and International Relations Water Governance and InfrastructurePurpose This study provides a territorial characterization of the Qhapaq Ñan through a multiscale cartographic analysis of its historical and contemporary routes, comparing the Inca road system with the present-day heritage network recognized within Peruvian territory. The Qhapaq Ñan was the largest infrastructure in pre-Columbian America, consolidated by the Incas in the 15th century to integrate an extensive territory in South America. Its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 reflects the continued use of many of its segments by rural Andean communities. Design/methodology/approach A territorial and multiscalar approach is employed to examine the Qhapaq Ñan as a system that continues to shape socio-spatial dynamics in the Andean region. This study draws on open-access georeferenced data from SIGDA (Geographic Information System of Archaeology), complemented by historical scholarship and official technical documentation produced by the Peruvian state. Findings The contemporary Qhapaq Ñan is a physically discontinuous road network. The preserved stretches form a fragmented whole due to historical processes of destruction of the original layout. The system no longer retains its capillary territorial model, which once articulated settlements with a distant imperial center. Nonetheless, despite the loss of macro-regional continuity, the Qhapaq Ñan remains tangible, albeit sectorized, manifesting through localized stretches and nodes that preserve functional and symbolic relevance. Originality/value While most academic studies conceptualize the Qhapaq Ñan primarily as an archaeological asset, this article addresses a gap by approaching it as a system of routes, emphasizing its spatial inscription and contemporary relevance within the Andean landscape.Articlehttps://hdl.handle.net/2117/45886310.1108/jchmsd-09-2024-0227https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.15037/639W7128926914enJournal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development2044-12662044-12742026-02-142026-06-13T08:19:22Z2026-06-13T08:19:22Z |
| spellingShingle | Georeference Scholarship Geography Human settlement Documentation Relevance (law) Cultural heritage Archaeology History Prehistory World heritage Ethnology Regional science Anthropology Historical ecology Ethnography Geopolitics Economic geography Comparative historical research Historical heritage State (computer science) Digitization Historical archaeology Spatialization Historical anthropology Cultural landscape Human geography Task (project management) Cultural heritage management Georeference Scholarship Human settlement Documentation Relevance (law) Cultural heritage Prehistory World heritage Historical ecology Physical Sciences Earth and Planetary Sciences Paleontology Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Social Sciences Arts and Humanities Archeology Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation Social Sciences Social Sciences Political Science and International Relations Water Governance and Infrastructure Cristian Yarasca-Aybar Joan Curós Cartographies of heritage routes: networks and territorial reconfigurations of the Qhapaq Ñan – Andean road system |
| title | Cartographies of heritage routes: networks and territorial reconfigurations of the Qhapaq Ñan – Andean road system |
| title_full | Cartographies of heritage routes: networks and territorial reconfigurations of the Qhapaq Ñan – Andean road system |
| title_fullStr | Cartographies of heritage routes: networks and territorial reconfigurations of the Qhapaq Ñan – Andean road system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cartographies of heritage routes: networks and territorial reconfigurations of the Qhapaq Ñan – Andean road system |
| title_short | Cartographies of heritage routes: networks and territorial reconfigurations of the Qhapaq Ñan – Andean road system |
| title_sort | cartographies of heritage routes networks and territorial reconfigurations of the qhapaq nan andean road system |
| topic | Georeference Scholarship Geography Human settlement Documentation Relevance (law) Cultural heritage Archaeology History Prehistory World heritage Ethnology Regional science Anthropology Historical ecology Ethnography Geopolitics Economic geography Comparative historical research Historical heritage State (computer science) Digitization Historical archaeology Spatialization Historical anthropology Cultural landscape Human geography Task (project management) Cultural heritage management Georeference Scholarship Human settlement Documentation Relevance (law) Cultural heritage Prehistory World heritage Historical ecology Physical Sciences Earth and Planetary Sciences Paleontology Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Social Sciences Arts and Humanities Archeology Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation Social Sciences Social Sciences Political Science and International Relations Water Governance and Infrastructure |
| topic_facet | Georeference Scholarship Geography Human settlement Documentation Relevance (law) Cultural heritage Archaeology History Prehistory World heritage Ethnology Regional science Anthropology Historical ecology Ethnography Geopolitics Economic geography Comparative historical research Historical heritage State (computer science) Digitization Historical archaeology Spatialization Historical anthropology Cultural landscape Human geography Task (project management) Cultural heritage management Georeference Scholarship Human settlement Documentation Relevance (law) Cultural heritage Prehistory World heritage Historical ecology Physical Sciences Earth and Planetary Sciences Paleontology Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Social Sciences Arts and Humanities Archeology Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation Social Sciences Social Sciences Political Science and International Relations Water Governance and Infrastructure |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/458863 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.15037/639 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cristianyarascaaybar cartographiesofheritageroutesnetworksandterritorialreconfigurationsoftheqhapaqnanandeanroadsystem AT joancuros cartographiesofheritageroutesnetworksandterritorialreconfigurationsoftheqhapaqnanandeanroadsystem |