Drink, Power, and Society in the Andes Library binding - 2009

From the publisher

"A timely addition to a corpus of works that relates to feasting. Whether you are an archaeologist, ethnohistorian, or ethnographer, Jennings and Bowser's compelling volume speaks to a rich and detailed understanding of the many changing roles and traditions that drinking plays in the Andes."--George Gumerman IV, Northern Arizona University "Chicha is not just a South American beverage, but, as the authors of this superb volume demonstrate, a set of cultural creations that flows among the lives of Andean peoples, past and present."--Jerry D. Moore, California State University, Dominguez Hills For more than two thousand years, drinking has played a critical role in Andean societies. This collection provides a unique look at the history, ethnography, and archaeology of one of the most important traditional indigenous commodities in Andean South America--fermented plant beverages collectively known as chicha. The authors investigate how these forms of alcohol have played a huge role in maintaining gender roles, kinship bonds, ethnic identities, exchange relationships, and status hierarchies. They also consider how shifts in alcohol production, exchange, and consumption have precipitated social change. Unique among foodways studies for its extensive temporal coverage, Drink, Power, and Society in the Andes also brings together scholars from diverse theoretical, methodological, and regional perspectives.

About the author