Abstract

Agriculture was a fundamental activity of the village communities of the highlands of Arica in the central southern Andes during the Late Intermediate period (AD 1100–1450), until it became one of the main aims of the Inca expansion in the region in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This article presents the discovery of maquetas, or miniature engraved models of agricultural infrastructures, in the upper basin of the Azapa Valley. We characterize their forms and supports, examine their distribution in the region’s late territories, and contrast them at a regional macroscale with similar evidence. Finally, we discuss their link with the flow of knowledge and experiences related to water management and topography and the ritualization of the agricultural landscape in Inca times. © 2025 Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.