Una fuente inédita para el estudio del ayllu y el parentesco en los Andes surperuanos: Los libros parroquiales de la iglesia San Francisco de Asís de Marcapata (Quispicanchi, Cuzco, Perú)

The article presents and examines the marriage and baptismal records preserved in the parish of San Francisco de Asís, in the district of Marcapata (Quispicanchi, Cuzco), with the aim of exploring their potential for studying ayllu and kinship relations among the local population in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The analysis begins with an examination of the official census data available for the district and its constituent units as an introduction to the information contained in the parish records. When subjected to a genealogical reading, the records prove to be a highly valuable source for identifying kinship networks with exceptional potential exploration for studies focused on the social morphology of peasant indigenous populations in this region of the southern Peruvian Andes. A preliminary analysis of these networks –paying particular attention to the places of birth and residence of individuals, the distribution of principal surnames, and rates of endogamy and exogamy down to the district level– provides an alternative view of district organization that differs from official sources.