ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the emergence, development, and broader significance of two widespread and durable social organizations that are widely seen as the basic building blocks of prehispanic Andean civilization: the ayllu and moiety system. Each possessed intrinsic features that contributed to the development of social hierarchy. More generally, we examine the contexts and means of establishing and reinforcing social inequality such as skilled craftsmanship and rituals and displays at ceremonial centers, as well as the diverse expressions and consequences of inequality.
