Mesas & cosmologies in the central Andes

Mesas & cosmologies in the central Andes offers a focused overview of the subject matter, dealing with both archaeological and ethnohistorical evidence for pre-Hispanic shamanism in the Andes. It provides insight into cosmological concepts underlying the rites and power objects of contemporary shamans, including ethnological interpretation of the ritual paraphernalia and practices of contemporary shamans inhabiting parts of the Andes where pre-Columbian cultural legacies are still alive. In these regions, shamanism enjoys a widespread popular appeal because it is effective in meeting a basic human need to attribute meaning to existence