The northern Andes has had a subdued voice in the literature of American
archaeology even though it is a pivotal region for understanding many of
the social, economic, political, and ideological changes which
pre-Columbian cultures experienced. The eleven chapters cover topics
including recent investigations on the first human colonization of the
region, the origins of sedentism and food production, the rise of
chiefdoms, and the importance of symbolism and iconography.