6 Gated Communities, Neighborhoods, and Modular Living at the Early Horizon Urban Center of Caylán, Peru

This paper examines the shift to enclosed forms of residence and modular living in the context of emerging urbanism during the Early Horizon in the Nepeña Valley, north-central coast of Peru. During the local Nepeña phase (800–450 cal BCE), complex agrarian groups living in the lower portion of the coastal drainage interrupt constructions at ceremonial centers of the Chavín and Cupinisque religious traditions and relocate on the valley margins, most notably at Caylán (800–1 cal BCE). Regional data suggest that religio-political turmoil and increased conflicts played a significant role in the nucleation of human groups. Indeed, the following Samanco phase (450–150 cal BCE) is associated with the construction of extensive defensive structures and the relocation of human populations. Architectural data point to the existence of more than 40 gated complexes at Caylán. Based on preliminary excavation data, those are interpreted as multifunctional residences. This paper offers an empirical case study to evaluate the usefulness and flexibility of the concept of neighborhood in the context of co-resident gated communities. By examining the layout and planning of the Caylán settlement, and the architecture and spatial variability of its multifamily compounds, we consider potential forms of household, community, and neighborhood organizations. Based on excavation data and demographic estimations we explore the heuristic value of the concept of neighborhood to understand face-to-face interactions between members of the different gated communities. We suggest that those communities might be comparable to the house societies of anthropological literature. Regional data, meanwhile, suggest that groups merging at Caylán maintained hinterland connections including with agrarian and maritime communities.