Neither the ceramics nor the two radiocarbon dates from Viracochapampa (A.D. 250 ± 80 and A.D. 1130 ± 180) help to date the Huari presence at that site. The ceramics from Viracochapampa are probably intrusive in Huamachuco, but they are nondiagnostic. Similarly, the few Huari sherds from Cerro Sazon do not allow precise chronological placement. Diagnostic ceramics from Cerro Amaru, however, indicate a stylistic date in Middle Horizon 1B (Thatcher 1972, 1975, 1977; Topic and Topic 1984). In fact, Middle Horizon 1B is the only period with good ceramic evidence for Huari influence in Huamachuco.

The architecture at Viracochapampa has proven to be more useful than ceramics in dating that site. Following detailed comparisons of the architecture at a number of Huari sites, Schreiber (n.d.: 173, 233) seriated Viracochapampa early in the sequence of Huari expansion. Our research, which has concentrated on understanding Viracochapampa within the local context rather than in a pan Andean context, supports her position in three ways:

The principal building types at Viracochapampa have antecedents in the Huamachuco tradition, but thus far clear antecedents in the Ayacucho area have not been recognized. The most logical hypothesis at present is to assume that galleries, typical of many Huari sites, and niched halls, which probably occur at Huari and Pikillacta, are derived from Huamachuco rather than Ayacucho antecedents. The chronological implication of this hypothesis is that Huamachuco and Huari were in contact very early in the Middle Horizon, and certainly before most Huari provincial centers were planned.

1. Following from the first hypothesis is the further hypothesis that Viracochapampa itself was one of the first provincial centers to be planned and built. As I have pointed out, the planning of Viracochapampa is not as rigid as that of Pikillacta, Jincamocco, or Azangaro. It is also quite likely that the idea of building enclosure walls before interior buildings actually evolved during the construction of Viracochapampa. Finally, the basic planning unit at Viracochapampa and other Huari sites is the patio group, and this has antecedents at Marca Huamachuco and Cerro Sazon.

2. Last, though the radiocarbon evidence cannot be considered to give a very precise date for Huari influence, a large number of dates from all the sites discussed indicate a general dating between A.D. 500 and A.D. 700. Not all dates conform to even this general time period, of course, but it represents our best estimate. This period is early enough that we cannot reject the first two hypotheses (cf. Isbell 1983: table 1).