Rojo Grafitado is not graphite. A slow-science interpretation of the production of an Andean ceramic style.

Summary

Building upon the slow-science movement, and the work of Olivier Gosselain and others, this presentation examines how our understanding of ancient ceramic production depends upon the path a research may take. It argues for a re-articulation and re-evaluation of qualitative observation, small number of samples and quantitative data. The Rojo Grafitado case presented arose from research hazards, curiosity, and a regional perspective on ceramic production. During the first millennium B.C. in the northern Peruvian Andes, finely decorated Rojo Grafitado wares appeared in small numbers in different ceremonial centers. The paste and surface of a few of these wares have been recently analyzed and the petrographic results point to a non-local provenance, while the technology and paste recipe appear to be similar in the cases observed. In addition, an SEM-EDXRF analysis suggests that the black pigment used for surface decoration is not graphite, but manganese. Triangulating macropaste analysis, petrography and SEM analysis, with geological, stylistic and ethnographic data allows us to postulate the existence of specialists, operating from a particular region, and producing a specific type of ware for a particular clientele. Such a production scheme has not been identified yet for this early time period in the Andes.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Advances in the Method and Application of Ceramic Petrography: International Perspectives on Key Archaeological Questions Part II

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