Thursday, 2 August 2007

Updates
.

Over the last fortnight I was lucky enough to access new information about some the subjects I have written about previously and so I have just updated my posts regarding the ushnu.

I had requested two papers held by an Australian university. One of these contained a written description (and a photograph) of an ushnu with an upright - the first archaeological evidence I have seen for such feature [Meddens 1997]. This suggests that some provincial ushnu as well as the Cuzco ushnu did indeed have uprights.

Other new information about ushnu was a brief report describing the excavation of the Shincal ushnu in Argentina describing its findings, and perhaps most excitingly, a description of excavations in the Haukaypata plaza in Cuzco near the colonial fountain which found the footings of an Incan retaining wall thought to be associated with the ushnu there [Farrington et al 1996]. If so these might provide some dimensions for the Cuzco ushnus platform. Hopefully at some point I might be able to found out more details about these findings.

I have tried to incorporate this new information into my earlier posts - happily this was a fairly easy process.


References

Farrington, Ian S and Rodolfo Raffino. Mosoq Suyukunapa Tariqnin; Nuevos Hallazgos En El Tawantinsuyu - Inka News From Around the Empire. 1996, Tawantinsuyu Journal, Australian National University, Canberra

Meddens F M. Function and Meaning of the Ushnu in Late Horizon Peru. 1997, Tawantinsuyu Journal, Australian National University,

No comments: